Abandon All Hope II
by LadiSmilePretty
Summary: If Dean hadn't of been holding her up, keeping her moving, Jo would have stayed to watch that building burn, hoping beyond a child's hopeless prayer that her mother would walk out of there, that she would return to her, anything, just as long as she was alive. That didn't happen. And the colt didn't work.
1. Prolouge

Blood coated Jo's hands. "Mom, no!" She begged weakly, tears and blood smeared her face. That Hell bitch Meg had just released some Hell-hounds on them in the deserted streets of Cartharge Missouri. Dean had fallen and like the love sick fool she was, she stopped running to help. If she had known that her mother would end up shielding her from one of those fucking hounds... Well she didn't know what she would do.

"Jo, this may be the last chance you get to do as you're told, dammit." Ellen gasped for air. She lifted a shaky hand to push one of Jo's golden strands behind her ear, leaving it streaked with red. "I love you, baby girl."

Jo couldn't stand it, the ache in her heart to large, to loud, burning a hole through her chest. "No!" She screamed, holding onto her mother's hand with all the strength she had.

"Dean," Ellen nodded toward her daughter, "Get out of here."

Dean pursed his lips, giving Ellen one last nod, then grabbed Jo by the waist and dragged her kicking and screaming out the back of the store.

* * *

"Sam!" Sam heard Dean yell from the roof, signaling him.

"It's now or never, darlin'," Ellen choked.

Sam nodded, looking down at his shoes, "I'm so sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about," Ellen said, "Now, hurry."

He pulled the chains off the door and ran like hell.

* * *

Ellen waited till she could feel the mutts breathe on her cheek to press the button. "Go to Hell."

* * *

If Dean hadn't of been holding her up, keeping her moving, Jo would have stayed to watch that building burn, hoping beyond a child's hopeless prayer that her mother would walk out of there, that she would return to her, that she would be okay.

That didn't happen. And the colt didn't work.


	2. Chapter 1: Swap Meat

The fire alarm going off in the distance pulled Jo from reading John Winchester's diary. Since her mother had taken a Hell-hound for her almost four weeks ago, she had been tagging along with the boys. Mostly doing research, or whatever Dean thought she could handle, which wasn't much. He was becoming the most over-protective jerk she had ever met.

She spotted Dean first, coming out of the clearing of the trees, the moon illuminating his blue bath robe, he turned around, he's yelling now. His rough, muffled voice had made it's way to the Impala's open windows, Jo couldn't help the butterflies that swarmed her stomach. Some wild hand gestures later, and they were walking toward the car again.

Sam's head was down as he got into the backseat without complaint. "Hey, how was it?" Jo asked wearily, scooting over to the passenger side of the car.

Dean slumped down in the driver seat. "Fucking crazy," he gave her one of his best flirtatious smirks, and started the car.

Jo shrugged, already knowing he wasn't going to elaborate on the subject. "I got us a couple of rooms at the motel on the edge of town. I figured you guys would want a real night sleep, not in a looney bin."

"Thanks Jo," Sam mumbled meekly from the backseat.

"Your welcome," Jo answered sincerely. She turned her attention back to Dean. His jaw flexed, his eyes fixated on the road, one hand one the wheel with white knuckles, one resting on the seat in a tight fist. Jo placed her hand on his fist. It instantly relaxed, intertwining his fingers in hers. He never took his eyes off the road.

* * *

When they got to the motel Jo fanned out the key cards, "Okay boys, pick which one you want."

Sam grabbed one and immediately turned his back, "I'll take this one," he called, entering the room and closing the door. The chain sliding closed audibly through the closed door.

"Well," Dean shuffled his feet. "I guess you're bunking with me." He looked up at her through his dark lashes.

Jo nodded, "Looks like it." She handed him the key card and followed him into the room.

Things between Jo and Dean had been a little awkward, if you can call it that. She was lost without her mother. She felt like she was a child again, didn't know where to turn, or what to do anymore. Following Dean around just seemed like the most logical decision at the time, she couldn't just sit tight at Bobby's house. And maybe this was a good way to ease herself back in to hunting. Jo shook her head to clear her thoughts. Maybe he was right to hold her back on cases.

She threw her bag down and slumped onto the bed farthest from the door. Dean would make her take that one anyway. _"What if someone broke in?!" _She mocked him in her head.

"I thought I was tired," Dean whistled. "Have a hard day, dear?"

"I'm exhausted! I did nothing and I'm just drained," Jo flopped her hands on the bed as she spoke.

Dean nodded, taking the robe off, wading it up and throwing it at the trashcan near the door. "It's been a tough few of weeks."

Jo laid back on the bed. She thought she was tougher than this. She used to think what it would be like, how she would feel, how she would react to her mom's death, and she never thought she would be _this_ broken. Of course, Jo knew that this would not be easy, that it would hurt, that she would mourn, but keep hunting. She would be strong, she would be like how her mother was when her father died. Sad, but strong. Jo never saw her mother break her routine for more than three days, never once saw her break down, and then the bar was open. But Jo, she was incapacitated, like some vital organ was missing.

She would get a whiff of hazelnut and she would start crying. A woman with auburn hair had her chasing her through the crowd just to be disappointed. The sight of her car parked in the Singer junk yard set Jo's heart racing. She even heard the sound of her voice calling her at Bobby's house. Jo had concluded she was going insane after that. "Yeah, I guess." She mumbled.

Dean sat on the opposite bed, facing her. He slapped a hand on the bed to get her attention, "Come on, tell me what you're thinking?" He asked gently.

Jo turned her head towards him, "You tell me first. Sam seemed pretty upset."

Dean rubbed his face with his hands, "And then you'll tell me?" Jo nodded. "Alright, when we were in the looney bin Sam got shrunk pretty good and he was feeling a little uneasy about it. So I talked to him."

Jo raised her eyebrows, "That's it?"

Dean rolled his head from side to side, then letting it fall forward, "I might have been a little harsh, but for crying out loud we just watched El-" Dean's eyes snapped to Jo's. He shook his head, "I'm sorry." He whispered.

"It's okay," She whispered back. "I just-" She started, the emotion starting to roll in the back of her throat. "I don't know what to do anymore."

Dean leaned toward her bed and crawled till he was lying next to her. He put his arm under her head and pulled her close to his side, "I know," he kissed the top of her head, rubbing her arm with his free hand. "We'll figure it all out as it comes." He tilted her chin so that she would look at him, "I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He promised.

Jo nodded, tears she had forbidden to fall streamed endlessly down her face. He kissed her forehead and pulled her to her chest.

She must have cried herself to sleep, the next thing she knew the sun was starting to come up and her eyes were practically swollen shut.

"Come on," Dean shook her foot, "We got to get to Massachusetts by lunch."

"Ugh," Jo dragged herself from the bed, Dean had her bag in one hand, and a cup of coffee in the other, holding them out to her.

"Good morning sunshine." He smiled at her.

She took the coffee first, taking a sip, then taking her bag with a smirk, and headed to the bathroom.

When she got out of the shower, she wrapped a towel around herself and wiped the condensation off the mirror with her hand. The swelling in her eyes had gone down considerably, but she was still pretty puffy. She hadn't bothered with any make up in weeks and she never really messed with her hair, so her morning routine was pretty simple. She pulled her bag onto the sink and opened up the flap, a note was folded neatly on top of her clothes.

_No I did not put this in here while you were taking a shower, and no I did not look at any of your underwear. Perv. We'll be in the car waiting for you. I already did a sweep. D. _

Jo smiled and she could feel the heat rise to her cheeks. God, she thought, I'm like a thirteen year old girl, she moaned inwardly. She stuffed the note in the bottom of her bag and pulled out her clothes. She put on her coat before leaving and did a quick sweep regardless.

Sam was once again in the front seat, so Jo pulled the back door open and sat kitty-corner Dean.

As Dean put the car in drive, Jo opened John's diary to where she had left off the night before. She already knew most of the information, but it never hurt.

The hours passed slowly, mostly due to the musical styling of Dean, followed by Dean and Sam's debate on what brand of cheddar potato chips were better. Pringles won with the sound logic of 'once you pop, you can't stop'.

Jo felt like she was going to start climbing the walls soon. Thank God the state line came when it did, she probably would have killed them both. They pulled up to a modest house in a small suburb in Massachusetts, the only description she had of the people inside were that they were friends of John.

"So what are we doing here again?" Jo asked as she stretched getting out of the car.

"I told you in the car." Dean said, his eyes furrowing together.

"Sorry," Jo shook her head, "I must have zoned out. Refresh my memory."

"It's just someone that we used to know is having some poltergeist activity." Sam interjected.

"Uhm, maybe you should sit this one out," Dean mumbled rubbing the back of his neck.

"Are you serious?" Jo fought the urge to stomp her foot. "I've sat out the last two!"

"Well, I've never had a good experience with you and poltergeist." Dean argued.

"Really? You're going to hold that over my head?" Jo crossed her arms, her foot involuntarily tapping on the asphalt. "That was my first case." She practically growled.

Dean shook his head rubbing his eyes, looking at the house and then back at Jo. "Fine!" He yelled turning on his heal and marching up to the house.

After their meeting with Donna, the babysitter, they stopped at some greasy burger place, that Jo didn't even bother to catch the name of. She had Dean order for her as she went to the restroom. She didn't need to go, she just needed to breath. She felt so itchy in her own skin, like it wasn't her own.

She leaned on the bathroom sink and tried to meet her own gaze. She didn't even look like herself, she looked strung out, even though the swelling in her eyes was completely gone.

She splashed some water on her face, to try and get some color back, but it was useless. As she exited the bathroom, she saw Dean glance in her direction as he was speaking and Sam followed his eyes with confusion on his face. 'Great', she thought, 'Just great'. It was like high school all over again, only these were hunters, not catty little girls.

"Hey, I got you a bacon burger." Dean smiled handing her the wrapped burger. "So, Sammy, what do you got?"

Sam turned his laptop around and showed them the article he hand found on the house and the original owner. After lunch Sam went to city hall to see if there was any information on Maggie Briggs, and Dean forced Jo to go to the Library with him. Even though she gave a fully convincing argument that this was not a two-man job. He didn't care.

"Nope, not this time. If there's a poltergeist around, you, sweetheart, are not leaving my sight. Not this time." Dean turned and headed toward the car, "Come on, let's go."

Jo's head fell back as she let out a moan, dragging her feet to the car. She heard Sam chuckle as walked away in the opposite direction.

The library was very, very old, with all exposed brick and large, dark, oak shelves, it reminded Jo of pictures she had seen of the Library of Congress. It even had the dome ceiling.

They sat there for hours going through old newspapers, and historical books about the town and found nothing. No mention of the owner or Maggie Briggs.

"Dean," Jo whispered, "did you find anything yet?"

Dean sighed, "No." He looked at the clock on his phone. "They're going to close soon. Let's get out of here."

"Finally," Jo shuffled the books in a stack as Dean did the same with the newspapers, and followed him out of the library as Sam called.

"Got anything?" Dean said into the cell phone, holding the door for Jo. "Alright, well we got a minute to breathe here, so uh, let's pick it up first thing." He flipped his phone closed. "Sammy didn't find anything either. So dinner?"

"Can we not go to that burger place? The kid at the counter freaked me out a bit." Jo pulled the passenger door open and took a seat.

"Which one?" Dean pulled his seat belt on and started the car.

"The one that was staring at us?" Jo stared at him incredulously, "Seriously, you didn't see him?"

Dean shook his head as he made his way onto the road, "Maybe he thought you were hot."

"Ugh," Jo scoffed. "I don't think that was it."

"What? You're a beautiful woman, what's so crazy about that?" Dean turned the radio on low, and started flipping through the stations. "Ah, here we go, some REO Speed-wagon. This oughta put a smile on your face." He smiled as he turned up the volume.

'Can't Fight This Feeling' just started to crescendo, as Dean mimicked the drums and sang along as loud as he could. Jo couldn't help but laugh, he was acting like such a fool, her face wasn't used to the movement, sore around the corners of her mouth.

"There we go!" Dean slapped her thigh, "I've missed that."

Jo looked at him, 'What is he doing? Is he trying to hit on me?' She thought. They pulled into the motel parking lot then.

Dean parked the car, looking at her for just a bit to long, before he started undoing his seat belt, "Well, I'm going to go see if Sam wants anything." He pulled out his phone and dialed his brother. Jo her the voicemail message start, Dean hung up and dialed again, still no answer. "Oh, what the fuck." Dean called again. Again voicemail. "Where the fuck did he go? I just talked to him."

"Maybe he's at the bar?" Jo pointed to the beer signs just down the road. "Wanna check it out? We could get something to eat too." She fluttered her eyelashes at him. "Come on, Sam is an over-grown man, he'll be okay."

Dean stared at her, she could clearly see his wheels turning, without breaking eye contact, he hit redial on his phone and tried Sam, again it went to voicemail. Dean put the keys back in the ignition and started the car.

The bar was mildly packed for a Tuesday night, Sam was not one of those people. They sat in silence for the most part, shared a plate of onion rings and sipped on a few beers. Everything on their minds too heavy for this certain venue.

"I'm sorry," Dean finally cracked the silence.

"For what?" Jo asked confused.

"For," Dean sighed, rolling his eyes, he leaned his elbows on the table, "for propositioning you that night." He leaned back shrugging his shoulders.

Jo let out a laugh, "Why? I shot you down. I should be the one apologizing." She placed her hand to her heart, mocking a sincere gesture.

Dean smiled, almost to himself, "You and I both know, you would never be just a one night fling."

Jo's heart began to race, "Oh yeah," she put on her poker face, "Then what would I be?"

Dean swirled his bottle around in circles on the table, "You're family."

"Don't be creepy."

Dean laughed, "Don't be such a perv. You know what I mean."

Jo shook her head, playing stupid, hoping he would just say the words she didn't even know she was longing to hear.

"You know, you're part of the hunter community." Dean furrowed his brow, as if questioning if that was the right answer.

"Oh." Jo took a swig of her beer, swallowed and took another.

"I mean, if I were to ask you to, you know, what you you say?" He leaned on the table again, putting on his best flirtatious smirk, the one that usually turned Jo's insides to goo.

"Right now?" She leaned back in her chair taking the last large gulp of her beer. "I wouldn't change my answer for the world." She slammed her glass down on the table and stood up, "Excuse me." She gave a sardonic smile and zigg zagged her way out of the bar.

An hour had gone by before Dean came back to the room. "Come on, we have to go." He pulled his bag on to the bed and started grabbing things and shoving them in.

"What's going on?" Jo asked starting to do the same.

"Sam, the maid saw all his guns laid out," He went to the bathroom, coming out holding his and her toiletry bag. He handed Jo hers, zipped up his duffel bag and threw it on his shoulder. Jo practically mirrored his movements.

When they walked out of the room Sam was already sitting in the front. Dean got into the driver side, "You ready?"

"Absolutely." Sam responded. "Hey can I drive?"

Dean and Sam switched places, and Sam revved the engine.

"This is so sweet!" He exclaimed.

Dean and Jo looked at each other and then back at Sam. "Okay, let's get the lead out Andretti."

Sam nodded and put the car in gear.

"Reverse." Dean interjected. Sam ignored him. "It's in reverse." Sam still ignored him, seemingly too excited about the car. "Reverse. Reverse!" There was a loud crash as Sam backed up into the dumpster behind them.

Jo clapped her hand over her mouth. She was sure Dean was going to kill him.

Dean got out of the car and Sam followed suit, switching back.

"Thank you," Dean smiled at the waitress as he paid the bill, again holding the door open for Jo.

"So where are we going?" Sam asked.

"To work." Dean said.

"The case?" Jo questioned.

"Oh yeah, the case. Of course." Sam snapped his fingers. "Where do you want to start?"

"Well since we couldn't find where Maggie Briggs was buried, now we have to do an all day tombstone roll to see if we can dig her up." Dean looked at Jo as if to solidify that Sam was nuts.

"The Maggie Briggs? The witch?" Sam asked leaning on the top of the car.

"Yeah, Sherlock," Jo scoffed.

"Yeah, she's in the basement."

"W-what?" Dean stuttered, "What basement?"

"Isiah Pickett's house." Sam sighed, "There's this legend that he hung her, but he didn't. The real truth is that she was carrying his illegitimate child and he killed her and then buried her in the basement.

"Her 'Murdered Chylde'," Dean mumbled.

"That would explain the scratches," Jo responded. She looked back to Sam, "How do you know all this?"

"Oh," Sam waved his hand, "I've done all kinds of research on it." Dean and Jo looked at each other and then back at Sam. "You know, last night."

"Yeah," Jo whistled.

"Nice work... I guess." Dean opened his door, got in and started it. Bob Segar came on the radio.

"Oh man! Turn this up!" Sam started moving to the music.

"Seriously?" Jo asked incredulously.

"Yeah!" Sam said still grooving.

Dean shrugged and turned the volume up.

The basement was just as dark and creepy as the next. Boxes of old clothes, toys, pictures and other miscellaneous items strewed about the floor. All three of them made their way down the stairs, flashlights shining in every direction.

"Boo-yah!" Sam jumped around a corner. "Master chief is the house bizatches!" He said holding his gun like a sniper.

"Are you alright?" Dean asked turning to look at his brother.

"Yeah. Fine." Sam answered.

Dean looked at Jo and shrugged his shoulders. He turned around and walked towards what seemed to be a small unmaintained garden. "Well, I'll be damned. Willow moss." Dean rested one of his feet against the barrier of the garden.

"Yeah, right. It's supposed to grow over witches graves right?" Sam nodded.

Jo looked over her shoulder at him, raising her eyebrows, "Yeah." She looked back at Dean and shook her head.

"Okay, let's get started." Dean dropped his duffel bag on the floor and started pulling a shovel out, "Any takers?" He asked holding it out to them.

Both of them shook their heads.

"Fine then." Dean turned and started digging.

After awhile Jo got tired of standing and went to sit on the stairs. Exhaustion moving from her neck down to her shoulders, she let her head fall in her hands.

"I'm really sorry about this man," Jo heard Sam say to Dean, immediately following the cocking of the rifle.

Jo's head snapped up, "Dean," she warned, slowly standing and taking her knife out of the holster on her side.

"Sorry about what Sammy?" Dean asked over his shoulder.

Before Sam could answer he was thrown into the back wall of the basement.

"Sam," Dean ran for him, helping him up.

"Let's get out of here!" Sam whined.

"Dean," Jo started again, frantically looking around the room to find the ghost.

"We still gotta burn the body," Dean lightly slapped Sam upside his head, and then was violently thrown in the the same wall Sam was. As the witch barreled into Dean, she burst into flames.

Sam stood over the now burning grave, "Dude, that was sweet."

Jo rolled her eyes spinning on her heel, making her way back up the stairs. "I'll be in the car." She moaned.

Twenty minutes later the boys were trotting up to the car. Jo had taken it upon herself and took the front seat. Sam, without a word, sat in the back seat. Jo scrunched up her face in confusion. Normally, he would at least give her a face, if not tell her to beat it. Some thing was definitely up with him.

The bar Dean had pulled into was just like the other one by the motel. Peanuts on the floor and line dancing on Thursdays. They sat around a small table, Jo pouting in her chair squishing peanuts in her hand and tossing them on the floor. Dean gave her a look, placing one of his hands on hers to still her movements.

When the waitress came back with their shots and beers, Dean pulled on her arm, "Hey sweetheart," Jo' could feel her face boiling. She couldn't help that she was so jealous. "Could you bring me a cheeseburger with extra bacon with an egg on top?"

"Oh! That sounds good. Ditto for me." Sam pointed to him self.

"Absolutely, and for you darling?" The waitress asked Jo.

Her and Dean were both staring at Sam, "I'll just have the same too." She responded absentmindedly.

"Great, I'll be right back." She smiled and left, her eyes lingering a bit too long on Dean for Jo's liking.

Dean smiled back then turned on his brother. "Alright who are you and what have you done with Sam?"

"What do you mean?" Sam almost looked scared.

"Bacon cheeseburgers now?" Jo asked.,

"I don't know, I eat them, don't I?" Sam shrugged, "Anyway," He put one arm around Jo pulling her closer to him, and the other picked up his shot, "We're celebrating aren't we?"

"I guess," Jo pushed away from him and picked up her own shot, "Another one bites the dust right Deano." Jo tilted her head toward Sam ever so slightly, hoping that he would get the hint.

Dean watched his brother take the shot, "You know," Sam wiped his mouth on his sleeve, "I've had a really awesome day man." Dean nodded and took his own shot, Jo following in suit.

Dean cocked his head to the side, pushing his shot glass towards Jo, "A really awesome day?" He questioned.

"Yeah, it was a random D list ghost hunt." Jo took an enormous swig of her beer.

"That's awesome to you?" Dean pushed.

Sam looked at both of them incredulously, "I can't be in a good mood?"

Dean and Jo looked at each other deciding the validity of that statement. At first seeing the possibility of it and then both vigorously shaking their heads. "Nope, not at all." They both said.

"That's not really your style," Dean leaned in on the table.

"Well then it the new me," Sam flourished. "And why shouldn't I be happy? I got a gun, I'm getting drunk, and I look like this." Sam's smile faded as he sighed, "I don't know. Do you ever feel like your whole future is being decided for you?"

Jo snorted.

"Yeah, Sam, I feel like that a lot." Dean looked at Jo with confusion on his face.

"No matter how much you try to fight it," Sam kept rambling, "You can't stop the plan. The stupid, stupid plan. So I don't know, it's just nice to do a little ass kicking for a change is all." Sam leaned back and took a swig of his beer.

Jo mimicked him, looking at Dean over the rim of her glass.

Sam looked almost spooked. "You know what, I'm drunk. Just forget it."

"No, no, it's alright." Dean mumbled.

"I'll drink to that." Jo said holding up another shot to her lips.

The boys followed her actions. "Is it just me, or are we actually drinking together?" Dean slapped a hand on Jo's leg.

"I take it we don't do this often?" Sam asked.

"You can say that again." Jo pushed his hand off of her. She knew she was unreasonable mad at him, but it felt better at the moment then the school girl butterflies.

"Well, we should," Sam took a swig of his beer. "You guys are good people."

Jo couldn't help but giggle, "You must be drunk."

The waitress brought the food, and Jo immediately dug in. The faster they ate, the faster they could get out of here.

"I mean it though, you really are good." Sam almost whispered as he shoved the burger into his mouth.

"Mmm! The bread alone!"

Jo just shook her head and continued to eat her burger.

When Sam finished his meal, he excused him self to go to the restroom, leaving Dean and Jo at the table alone.

Jo sat there with her arms folded, slouching in her chair. Dean would take the occasional swig of his beer, watching her out of the corner of his eye.

The third time he did it Jo snapped, "What?"

"You're mad at me." Dean stated. "What did I do?"

Jo took the last swig of her drink, "It's not something I can rationally explain."

Dean looked at his watch, it had been at least five minutes that Sam had left the table. "Well I deal with a lot of stuff that isn't rational, on a daily basis. Try me."

Jo watched him, for a minute she was about to tell him everything. How she had loved him from the first moment she met him, how the butterflies in her stomach are so violent, they threaten to make her ill. How every time he's near her she can't think straight. Then she noticed his eyes wondering, she followed his gaze to a stacked redhead by the jukebox. She looked back over at Dean, who had a sheepish grin on his face. "I'll be in the car." Jo stood up and stalked out of the bar.

When she was finally outside, so frustrated with all the built up emotion, she kicked one of the rims on the Impala. "Oh fuck!" Immediately backtracking on her decision she dropped to her hands and knees to see if she left any damage. There was nothing but a scuff mark she cleared away with the sleeve of her sweater.

She twisted and leaned her back against the car, pulling her knees up to her chin and wrapping her arms around her legs. _So stupid! Why would he ever be interested in you? He just thinks of you as a little sister. A friend. A god damn hunter! Fuck! _Jo ranted in her head, banging her fists on the dirt ground of the parking lot.

Jo looked up to the bar door to see Sam leaving with a woman, almost twice his age, grabbing her ass, and pulling her close to him as they walked. _What is he doing?_

Dean came out soon after that.

"Did you see that?" He pointed to the direction that Sam had left in.

"Yes I did, I will not be able to ever unsee that." Jo answered opening the passenger door to the Impala.

"He's been weird hasn't he?" Dean asked as he got settled in the driver seat.

"Well, I think so," Jo pulled her seat belt on, "But he's your brother, shouldn't you know?"

"Yeah, he's being weird." The Impala roared to life with the flick of Dean's wrist. "Come on, I've got an idea."

The ride to the motel was silent, if not awkward by Jo's standards. "What's this big idea of yours?" Jo put her feet up on the dash, just to put them back down when Dean gave that look.

"I'm going to knock his ass out and then tie him up." Dean said as if it was common sense. "You see how big that Sasquatch is. There's really no other way."

"Okay then what do you need me to do?" Jo asked.

Dean smirked, "What you do best, sweetheart."

"You want me to be bait?" Jo turned in her seat to look at him. He still had that stupid shit eating grin on. "I hate you so much right now." Jo put her feet back up on the dash, and just as Dean was about to say something about it, Jo pointed her finger at him, "No, just once I would love to watch you be bait."

Dean chuckled as she went back to pouting.

"Dean?" Jo whispered into the darkness, "Do you see anything?"

Dean pushed his back up against the wall and peeked out of the window. "No... no, wait, here he comes."

Sam snuck into the room, shutting the door quietly. He looked at the bed, where Jo was hiding with the blankets pulled up over her head, then to Dean's gun he purposefully left out in the open. Sam picked up the gun, pointing it at Jo, and cocking the trigger.

Dean grabbed Sam by the lapel and punched him in the nose, "You're not Sam. Who are you?"

Sam looked wide-eyed and hurt, "Ow."

Dean pushed him on the bed opposite Jo, he pulled the gun out of his hand and pointed it at him. "You stay there. Give me your phone."

Dean handed the gun to Jo as she stood and pointed it directly at Sam's chest. Dean flipped through the voicemails.

"Okay," He said as he pocketed the phone, "Either you start talking or I start water boarding."

"Please don't hurt me," Sam begged, Jo started to lower the gun, "I'm so, so sorry," He looked from Jo back to Dean.

Dean put an arm on his shoulder, "Pull it together champ."

I don't want to die. I don't want to die," Sam mumbled.

"Where's Sam?" Dean pushed.

"He's in my friend's basement. His parents are out of town."

"Parents?" Jo whispered. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen." The kid in Sam's body's voice cracked as he answered.

Dean looked at Jo, "Seventeen," then back to whoever was in Sam's body. "Seventeen, wow."

Dean was then thrown back away from the kid. Jo was pushed up against the wall behind her. None of her limbs able to move.

"Laura?" Sam's body asked the young girl that had appeared in the middle of the room.

Her eyes flashed to black, "Not at the moment," She answered.

Dean was lying on the floor unconscious and Jo couldn't move, couldn't even speak as the demon walked around Sam to stand in front of him. "No what is it you want? You can have anything." She tempted.

Jo screamed behind a closed mouth, anything to get the kid's attention.

He looked at her and then back to the demon, "Anything?" He questioned. She nodded in return. Sam's body stood, puffing out his chest, "I want to be a witch. A really powerful witch."

"Hm, good choice." The demon nodded. Jo still trying to scream in the background. "I get it, no daddy, no MIT, no plan." She started walking until she was directly over Dean. "To be big and strong, and no one could tell you what to do anymore." Then she spun back to look at Sam's body. "There's just one little formality first. You gotta meet the boss."

"The boss?" The kid asked.

"You're Satanic Majesty, or whatever the kid's are calling it these days." The demon responded.

"The devil?" He asked, and she nodded in return, "No," Jo muffled a sarcastic relieved curse. "No, it's okay, I don't really want to bother him."

"Oh, but he's going to want to meet you," the demon persuaded, "Relax, it's going to be easy. He's just going to ask you one little question, and all you gotta do is say 'yes'."

Jo started screaming again. She could feel her vocal chords slamming together, the sound all caught behind her teeth. She looked down to Dean and saw him slowly pulling a knife from his side, he popped up and lunged at the demon's back. She spun and knocked his blow, kicking him down to the ground, then repeatedly in the stomach.

Jo looked to Sam's body with her eyes, screaming for him to do something, anything. He looked at Jo and then back to Dean, finally started the exorcism.

"What was that?!" The demon whirled on the kid.

"Nothing," He started backing up with his hands in the air.

"Were you trying to exercise me?" She yelled as she kicked a chair, "You little piece of shit!" She lifted him up by his throat.

Dean started the exorcism again and she let go of Sam's body and started for him, the kid started where Dean left off. The demon growing weaker, dropped Jo from off the wall, bringing her too her knees in enough time to put in the final words to send that bitch back to hell.

Jo sat on the bed with Laura, wrapping a blanket around her shoulders. She patted her leg absently as she watched Gary, the kid, preform the switching spell. There was a bright light that Jo had to shield her eyes from, and when she opened them Sam was already heading for the mirror.

"So we're good?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, we're good." Sam answered turning around, "Man, it is nice to be back."

"Yeah, it's awesome," Gary mumbled as he stood up.

Dean moved to stand in front of him, Sam on his side, boxing him in. "So, Gary," Dean started.

"I know," Gary shrugged, "My bad."

Jo scoffed, "My bad?" She moved to stand in between her two boys.

"Kid, my bad, ain't gonna cut it." Dean's hands clenched into fists, "See, if you were of voting age, you'd be dead. Because we would kill you. Now, you better straighten up or fly right, or we will kill you. We clear?"

"Crystal." Gary squeaked.

"Good." Dean dropped his hands to his sides, "Let's get you guys home."

The ride to Gary's was pretty much silent, except for Gary quietly giving directions to Dean. When they had gotten there, Dean had gotten out to walk Laura to the door, and Sam talked to Gary a bit.

"What's he telling him?" Jo asked when Dean got in the car, climbing her way over the seat to get to the front.

"Just giving him a pep talk, I guess." Dean lightly punched her leg, smirking at her, "Way to help back there."

Jo pushed his shoulder, "That was not my fault, and plus you were out cold for most of it."

Dean chuckled at her, "Yeah, I guess you got me." It was then that Jo caught something in his eyes, some spark, some look, that the flicker of hope she once had for them had now turned into an inferno.

Sam chose then to open the passenger side door, "Nope, I don't think so." He motioned his thumb to the back seat.

"Oh Sam," Jo groaned as she started to climb over the seat again. "It's so nice to have you back." She threw herself against the back seat and crossed her arms.

Sam leaned back in the passenger seat, getting settled, he whistled, "All that apple pie family shit, it's stressful, man. Trust me, we're not missing a damn thing."

"Or we don't know what we're missing." Dean turned the engine on.

Out of the corner of her eye she caught Dean readjusting the mirror in her direction.


	3. Chapter 2: The Song Remains The Same

Whenever the Winchester boys left a case and didn't have one immediately lined up, they would pick a direction and just go. True nomad hunter style. Jo was a bit different. When she first went out she kept a small apartment in Duluth, and after a case she would always head there but then again she would more or less stay in her region. In the hunter community that they had, they all took different regions of the country depending on where they had a permanent residence. Or really as permanent as they could get. Sam and Dean and a couple others were the only ones that she knew of that didn't have a home.

"How come you guys never got an apartment?" Jo asked from the back seat, absently pulling cold french fries from the bottom of a fast food bag. She looked to meet Dean's eyes in the review mirror. Sam was reclined back in the passenger seat fast asleep.

"What?" Dean asked turning down the Led Zeppelin tape he had put in two hours ago.

"How come you never put down roots?" Jo repeated. "You could have gotten something in southern Illinois and you would have still been close to everybody."

Dean shrugged. "I don't know, I never had anything to keep me in one place." He smiled wistfully, "I almost did," He met her gaze in the mirror, "I guess it was just wrong time, wrong place." He winked.

"It was just timing." Jo smiled, knowing full well what he was referencing, turning to look back out the window, "The place was perfect. Plus, you can't really call that an almost."

"Why don't you reopen the Roadhouse?" Dean asked, the ghost of a smile on his lips.

Jo looked back to him, "I can't do that by myself. Everyone's gone." Her mind flashed to Ash, and stopped herself before her mother's face swam before her eyes.

"What about if you open it close to Bobby? Maybe he could help you." Dean suggested.

"Dean, come on, Bobby's got the junk yard, and he can barely help himself." Jo covered her face with her hands, suddenly overwhelmed with guilt. "I should have stayed with him. I just left him there, I didn't even think."

"Whoa, whoa, hang on, you know Bobby would never let you do that." Dean glanced at her in the mirror, urging his point. "He wouldn't let you feel sorry for him."

Jo nodded, she knew he was right.

"How about this, we stop at the next motel, and shower, take some naps, recharge. Then we can see if there's a job nearby." Dean resettled in his seat, decision made.

"You just bury yourself in work, don't you?" Jo smirked.

Dean chuckled sardonically, "Is there any other way?"

* * *

All roadside motels looked the same to Jo, just in different colors. This one was no different. Jo walked in with Dean into the office to get the rooms. The laminate floors were sticky with neglect, the phoney paneling on the counter peeling leaving holes like Swiss cheese. There was the generic, faceless, middle aged male attendant slouched against the wall as they entered. Reading glasses balanced on the tip of his nose, stuffing a dirty magazine under the counter.

"Hey," Dean said barely meeting the man's eyes, pulling his wallet from his back pocket, "We need to get a couple of rooms."

"No, just one room," Jo shook her head looking at Dean.

"Yeah, okay, one room then," Dean turned his attention back to the attendant.

"How long?" He asked.

"Just for the night." Dean answered.

"Name," The attendant picked up a pen and started writing on a pad of slips.

"Darcy." Jo interjected, a sly smile on her lips.

Dean gave her a look, "Yeah, Darcy."

"Fifty bucks," The attendant said unphased. He took the cash from Dean, and handed him a room key. "Room 13 on the left."

"Thanks." Dean said over his shoulder as he followed Jo out of the office. "Darcy?" He asked once they were out of earshot.

"Yeah, Mr. Darcy?" She said, "Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy?" Dean's face still showed no recognition. "Pride and Prejudice?" She probed. He shook his head. "Read a damn book, Dean." She shook her head, grabbing the key out of his hand and heading for the room.

She found the room with ease, right where the man said it would be. She took the hunting knife she kept in a holster in her boot out, just in case, before she opened the door. She knew that if she were to get hurt Sam and Dean would be on it like white on rice, but traveling alone as a young blonde petite woman, she never took the chance. She had heard too many horror stories from women hunters. They were more meant to scare her aware from hunting, it just made her that much more aware.

It wasn't long before she heard the pair of foot steps she had memorized. She would recognize that sound fifty years from now.

"Here's your bag, Ms. Bennett." Dean said tossing her bag toward the bed furthest from the door.

"Pride and Prejudice?" Sam questioned as he made his way through the room, "Dean, really?"

Dean threw his hands up in surrender. "Hey, I don't even know what it is. That's all her." He pointed toward Jo.

Sam shook his head, "Are you guys hungry?" He dropped his duffel bag on the chair near the door. Dean and Jo both nodded. "I'll go grab something. I'll get a couple news papers too." He held his hand out to Dean for the car keys. Dean pulled them closer to himself. "Come on, man, I was body snatched."

"I'm still having Post Traumatic Stress from that." Dean relinquished the keys with a scowl. "Be careful," He warned.

"Yeah, yeah," Sam turned and waved a hand over his shoulder before he shut the door behind him.

The air in the room had suddenly changed. From playful to anxious, the tension fogging the room. Jo felt it, the need to keep her hands busy rising, "Well," she rocked back and forth on her feet, "what should we do?"

"I can think of-," He stopped himself, biting his lip to keep his words from coming out. He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, smiling back up to her.

Jo's lips began to curl, "What?" She asked as she took a small step toward him.

Dean leaned as if to take a step forward. Then stopped, and looked at her. Like he was looking inside of her. Like he saw _her._ He sighed again, "I think I'm going to take a nap."

Jo let her head drop, "Sure, I'm going to take a shower." She took a giant step over to her bag and ripped the smaller toiletry bag out, not risking a glance at him.

When she reached the bathroom, her hands fumbled with the latch, finally locking her self inside, she slid down the back of the door and pulled her knees up to her chest.

Burying her face in her knees, she took two unsteady breathes. _You are a hunter,_ she told her self, _You are strong, you will not cry over Dean Winchester. You will _not_._ She pushed herself off the floor and started the water for her shower.

Methodically, she undressed, she grabbed all of her essentials, stepped into the water, and started her routine. She will not be broken by a man, she was determined.

She rinsed the conditioner out of her hair and pushed the water around her body to rinse off the excess soap suds. Her hand stilled on the now scabbed over scratch from the Hell-hound.

"Don't get mixed up with that boy, he ain't nothing but heartache, darlin'," Her mother's voice echoed in her ears. She would often mention this 'crush' she thought Jo had on Dean. Of course her mother liked Dean, just not for her daughter. Jo would always claim that she didn't know what she was talking about. _Sure he's cute,_ she thought,_ but that's it, right?_ Her mind flashed through all the memories she had with Dean, this heat rising from her stomach, every song played, every gentle touch, every glance, stopping cold when he pulled her from that hardware store.

She stood under the shower until the water had run cold. It hadn't been too long, this being the cheap motel it was, but it was a significant amount of time. Jo wrapped a towel around herself, in her haste to get as far as she could from Dean, she had forgotten to grab her clothes. She peaked her head out the door, thankfully Sam was no where to be found, and Dean was passed out on her bed.

She opened the door fully, crossed the room, and opened her bag. She pulled out her clothes, her eyes roaming to Dean's sleeping face. _He's _just _cute. _She tried to convince herself. She turned her back on him and returned to the bathroom to dress.

* * *

Dean bolted straight up in bed. "225 Industrial." He said.

"What?" Jo asked from the kitchenette table, picking at the dinner Sam had gotten.

"Dean?" Sam asked from across the table from Jo.

"I saw Anna." Dean panted. "She gate crashed my dream." He stood and grabbed the wrapped burger that was left on the nightstand. He took a bite. "Castiel!" He shouted with burger still in his mouth.

* * *

It took Castiel exactly thirty minutes to come back after Dean told him about his dream. "I've spoken with Anna."

"And?" Dean urged.

"She wants to go back in time to prevent the conception of Sam. She believes it will avert the coming apocalypse." Castiel recited.

"Really? Anna?" Dean sighed. "I don't believe it."

"Well, it's true," Castiel confirmed.

"So, she's gone all Glen Close on our asses." Dean tried to joke.

"Who's Glen Close?" Castiel joked, still not getting any of Dean's references.

"No one, just a psycho bitch who likes to boil rabbits." Dean started pacing the floor, rubbing his face with his hand.

"Who's Anna?" Jo asked leaning against the headboard of her bed, her legs stretched out in front of her.

"Well, Anna is-" Dean started.

"Anna is a fallen angel that Dean has had relations with." Castiel interjected, nodding his head dutifully.

Jo raised her eyebrows, "Wow, Dean, an angel. Impressive." She suddenly hated this woman, and not just because of her stupid plan.

"An old friend would have sufficed, Cas." Dean mumbled.

"Do you think it would actually work?" Sam asked quietly from the kitchenette. "Anna's plan? Would it stop Satan."

"Sam, come on," Dean pleaded.

"Cas, what do you think? Does Anna have a point?" Sam asked ignoring his brother.

Castiel looked at Dean then back at Sam. "No. She's a Glen Close."

"So, I don't get it, where looking for the chick that wants to kill Sam?" Jo crawled to the end of the bed to get a better look at the symbol Castiel was drawing the other nightstand.

"Anna, will keep trying. She won't give up until Sam is dead." Castiel answered not looking up from his work.

"So we kill her first." Dean caught on.

"Precisely." Castiel poured the ingredients he was working with together and started his ceremony. There was fire, red smoke and Castiel stumbled backwards. "I found her."

"Where is she?" Dean asked.

"Not where. When." Castiel corrected. "1978."

"What?" Sam stood, "Why 1978? I wasn't even born yet."

"You won't be. If she kills your parents." Castiel added it all up out loud, "I must go."

"Then we are too." Dean demanded.

"No, it's much too dangerous." Castiel refused.

"They're our parents, we're going." Dean argued.

"It's not that easy." Castiel's voice slightly icier.

"Why not?" Jo asked cautiously.

"Time travel is difficult, even with the powers of Heaven at my disposal." Castiel met her gaze more gently then he had Dean's.

"So what? You're like a Dolorian with out enough plutonian?" Dean asked keeping his voice the same level as Jo had.

"I don't understand that reference, but I'm telling you, taking this trip with passengers, no less, will weaken me." Castiel's shoulders sighed as he turned back to Dean, clearly exhausted.

"They're our Mom and Dad." Dean urged, "If we can save them, and not just from Anna, if we can set things right. We have to try."

Jo put her gun in the holster behind her back, and put the last knife in her boot, "Okay, I'm ready."

Castiel nodded, putting his hand in the center of the four of them. Dean put his arm protectively around Jo's waist. "Bend your knees."

There was a flash of white, then pitch black before she was able to open her eyes. She turned her head to find her surroundings. It was a small town, shops along the sides of the street and a car coming at them. She shrieked as it stopped and honked at them.

"Sorry," Dean waved, putting a hand on the middle of her back to push her along.

When they got to the sidewalk, Sam looked around, "Did we make it?"

"Unless they are bringing Pinto's back into production, I'd say yes." Jo looked up and down the street at all the old cars, most of which she had only seen rusted out at Bobby's shop. She could feel Dean's hand wrap around her back giving her a gentle squeeze.

"Cas?" Sam turned and ran to Castiel, who was trying to sit up against a car, blood coming from his nose. "Are you alright?" Sam said sitting him up right.

"I'm fine," He said coughing up blood, "A lot better than I expected." He turned his head to cough up some more, and finally passed out.

Jo reached up and cupped her hand in front of his mouth. "He's still breathing, sort of."

"What should we do?" Sam asked turning to Dean.

"We need a motel." Dean looked up and down the road, spotting a phone booth he pointed at it. "I'll be right back."

Sam and Jo stood outside of the little bed and breakfast waiting for Dean, now and then someone would walk past them and they would look at each other, and just start giggling. They were like school children.

"The mustaches alone," Sam chuckled.

"We gotta stick around and by some stock in micro soft." Jo retorted.

"We might have to if Cas doesn't recover." Dean interjected.

"Is he alright?" Sam asked.

"What do I look like? Dr. Angel Medicine Woman? How should I know?" Dean sighed. "He's tough for a little nerdy dude with wings, he'll be okay." He smiled down at Jo.

"Well if he landed that way, hopefully Anna did too." The picture of the faceless woman lying as broken as Castiel gave her the oddest sense of joy.

"Should buy us some time." Sam added positively.

"Yeah, I guess, you find them?" Dean asked looking to both Sam and Jo.

"Yup," Jo held up a page from the White Pages. "The Winchester's. 485 Robin Tree."

"Alright," He nodded. "Let's pop in on the folks."

Sam was the first to get out of the car when we pulled up to the house.

"Sam, wait!" Jo whispered as she ran after him, pulling his arm.

"What?" Sam turned, his face the exact picture of a boy missing his parents. Or his mother, to be more precise. Jo didn't blame him.

"What exactly are you going to tell them?" Dean questioned when he finally reached them.

"The truth?" Sam retorted incredulously.

"What that their son's are back from the future, to save them from an angel that's gone Terminator?"

"That movie hasn't even come out." Jo put in her two cents.

"Then tell demon's are after her, she thinks you're a hunter right?" Sam suggested.

"Yeah, a hunter that disappeared when her dad died. She's gonna love me." Dean argued, he rubbed his face, then looked at Jo. "Maybe, you could?"

"I could what?" Jo asked.

"You're blonde like she is, you could pass for a Campbell. We could push that you're her cousin. At least in front of dad." Dean proposed.

Jo sighed, "Okay, follow my lead." She marched in between the boys and up the steps.

When Mary Winchester opened the door, the plan was apparently abandoned. Her face fell when she saw Dean. "Hi, Mary."

"You have to go. You can't be here," She pleaded shutting the door. "I don't do that anymore, I have a normal life."

"Please this is important." Dean begged.

The door pulled back and a man stood behind Mary. "Hello," He said pulling his wife protectively to his side.

"Hi," Jo pushed her self to the door and put her hand out for John. "We're Mary's cousins, we we're just swinging through town, and we couldn't help but stop by. I'm Jo." She introduced herself.

"John," He said shaking her hand.

"I'm Dean," Dean pulled Jo to his side, extending his other hand.

John took his hand, "You know, you look familiar, have we met before?"

"We must have run into each other before." Dean chuckled, "Small towns, gotta love them."

John nodded and turned to Sam, who hesitated before taking his hand.

"This is Sam," Jo helped, putting a comforting hand on Sam's arm.

"Sam," John said nodding in approval, "Mary's father was a Sam."

"Well, it's a family name," Dean smiled, sharing a glance with his mother.

"Are you alright pal?" John asked Sam, who had not taken his eyes from him.

"Oh, yeah," He mumbled. "Long drive."

"Shame they were just on their way out." Mary pushed.

"Oh no!" John argued. "You gotta stay. I'm always so glad to met Mary's side of the family. Please come in and have a beer."

Dean smirked at Mary, looking down at Jo, then back up at John, "Well, don't twist my arm."

"Please, please, come in," John waved his hand, leading them toward the living room. "Please, take a seat." He motioned around the table as he headed toward the kitchen.

"You have a lovely home," Jo complimented as she took a seat next to Dean.

"Thank you," Mary muttered as she took her own seat.

"Yeah, we've been here awhile." John added as he came back with a six-pack. "Just after Mary's father had passed. Did you know him?"

"I never got the chance." Jo answered accepting the beer John handed her.

"That's a shame," He said passing out the rest, and taking his own seat.

"Yeah, Mary's dad, was kind of like a grandfather to us." Dean answered.

"It's so sad. It was just so sudden." He gave Mary's leg a supportive squeeze. "So how are all you related?" He asked.

"Well, Sam and Dean are brothers, and-" Jo stopped short.

"Jo here, is all mine," He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. "Saw this one in a bar in Nebraska. Couldn't live with out her after that."

Jo smiled up at Dean, playing along, putting a hand on his cheek, "Yup, we've been inseparable ever since."

John took Mary's hand and kissed it. "I know the feeling." He smiled at his wife, who obligingly smiled back. "So what are you guys doing in town?" John asked turning his attention back to them.

"Scrap metal." All three of them recited.

"Well, it's getting late," Mary interrupted, standing, "I hate to be rude, but I need to get dinner ready.

"Maybe they could stay." John argued pulling her hand gently.

"I'm sure they have to leave." She starred daggers at Dean. The phone started ringing in the kitchen.

John sighed, "Please stay." He begged, "It would mean a lot to me, I haven't met many people from Mary's family. Excuse me." He went to the kitchen to answer the phone.

As soon as John was in the other room, Mary turned on Dean. "You have to leave. Last time you were here a demon killed my parents. And now you waltz in here like you family. Whatever you want, no."

"You and John are in danger." Jo pleaded standing to be at the same level as her.

"What are you talking about?" Mary turned her attention to Jo.

"Something's coming for you."

"Demon?" She whispered.

"Not exactly," Dean said standing.

"Then what?" Mary crossed her arms, the same way Dean does when he's not getting answers fast enough.

"It's hard to explain," Dean tried to beat around the bush.

"It's an angel." Sam interrupted.

"A what?" Mary chuckled, "They don't exist."

"I wish." Dean muttered.

"They do though," Jo stepped closer to Mary, "and they are twice as powerful as demons.

"What do they want?" She backed away from Jo.

"It's a long story," Dean tried to rush, "and we'll tell you everything, you just got to trust us right now, and we have to go."

Mary shook her head and took another small step back.

"Look at my face and tell me if I'm lying to you." Dean begged.

Mary studied his face, "Okay," her voice cracked, "Where do we go?"

"Away from here." Jo said walking around Mary, "We just have to get John?"

"Wait," Mary grabbed Jo's arm, "What do I tell him?"

"Just tell him-" Jo was cut off by Dean shhing her.

"John?" He called into the kitchen. There was no answer. "John?" He tried again, moving into the room.

In John's neat scroll on the pad by the phone was a note saying he'd be back soon.

"Shit." Dean swore. He turned on Mary, "Where would he have gone?"

Mary shook her head, "I don't know, maybe the shop?"

"Okay, Sam, Jo, you stay here, in case, Mary, you're with me." Dean headed for the door.

"Dean!" Jo involuntarily called out for him. As soon as his name came out of her mouth she wished she was mute.

Dean turned and caught her hand. "I'll be right back. I promise." He pulled her head to his lips and kissed her on the forehead, turning on his heel and leaving the house.

"Jo?" Sam's voice came from behind her. "What was that about?"

Jo's cheeks burned as she turned to face Sam. "Fuck if I know." She plopped back on to the chair she was sitting on before.

"Are you guys finally going to do something about these stupid crushes that you have on each other?" Sam chuckled.

"What are you talking about?"

Sam looked up at her, "You know Dean has a thing for you right?"

Jo rolled her eyes, "Please, he thinks of me like a little sister."

"Pft, if that were true, his thoughts would be illegal."

Jo shook her head, she didn't know about that. She analyzed the last moment she had just had with him. The only plausible reason that she came up with is that he was playing along for Mary. She thinks they are together, so he is just playing his part.

* * *

Sam and Jo pulled in to the Campbell family safe house the same time as Dean, Mary and John did. The house was decrepit and deceptively secure.

Sam had pulled Mary off to show her the holy oil, and Dean pulled the heavy duffel bag he had packed on to the kitchen table in font of Jo. She unzipped the bag and they started unpacking in silence.

"Hey, what's with the thing on the paper?" John asked wondering into the kitchen.

"It's a sigil, it means-" Dean started to explain, still taking weapons out of the bag.

"I don't care what it means, where does it go?" John interrupted.

"It goes on a door or a wall." Jo answered.

"How big do I have to make it?" He questioned looking down at the piece of paper.

"John." Dean stopped him.

"What?" His voice tired, "You all may have treated me like a fool, but I am not useless. I can draw a damn sigil."

"Why don't you just help Sam out, cause this," Dean sighed, "this has got to be done in human blood."

John studied his face, picking up the knife on the table. He took it out of it's sheath, closed his palm around the blade and pulled the knife out, his crimson blood flowing effortlessly.

"So?" He looked up at Dean, his gaze testing him. "How big?"

Dean nodded. "I'll show you." He chuckled a bit.

"What?" John asked.

"Nothing, just all of a sudden you reminded me of my dad." He shook his head and walked out of the room.

John looked over to Jo, who had tried not to watch the exchange, "I'm sorry about that."

"No, it's okay." Jo put her hand up to stop him, she shrugged, "it's not my first rodeo."

John nodded and followed Dean out of the room.

* * *

Jo had unpacked the bag, and reorganized all the weapons on the table three times before Dean came back.

"Hey." He said standing in the doorway.

Jo steadied her hands. "Hey."

Dean nodded, taking two large steps, till his was only a foot away from her. "Hey." He repeated, smiling.

"Hey." She smiled back. "Are you okay?" She asked, absent absentmindedly rubbing his upper arm with her hand.

He nodded, putting a hand on her waste, pulling her just slightly toward him.

"Dean." Jo whispered, putting a hand on his cheek, "Rain check?"

He leaned into her touch, silently, examining her face. He put both hands on her cheeks and brought her face to his. "In a minute." He answered before his lips met hers.

The kiss was soft and gentle, as if there was all the time in the world, but it was over as soon as it began. Jo only opened her eyes when she felt his lips on her forehead.

"What?" Jo breathed, "What was that for?"

Dean rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, and chuckled softly. "That was a long time coming."

Jo shook her head, not satisfied with that answer.

He pulled her hips toward him, and wrapping his arms around her waist. "It's never gonna be the right time, or place, so I just had to make my own." He said shrugging.

Jo nodded, "Okay," she put her hands, palms down on his chest, "I'm going to hit you up later for that rain check."

Dean let out laugh, "Not if I bet you to it, Harvelle."

"So," Mary said from the doorway. Dean and Jo both pulled apart like they had been scolded, like teenagers caught by one of their parents. "You said you'd explain everything when we have a minute. We have a minute. Why does an angel want me dead?"

Dean shrugged, "Because their dicks."

Mary giggled sardonically, "Not good enough. I didn't even know they existed, and now I'm a target?"

"It's complicated," Dean looked down at his hands.

"Fine, I'm all ears." Mary held her hands out in a surrender.

"You're just going to have to trust me."

"I've been trusting you all day." Mary argued.

"It's kind of hard to believe." Dean sighed.

"Oh, alright then, I'm walking out the door," Mary turned to leave.

"I'm your son." Dean blurted.

Mary slowly turned back to look at him. "What?"

Dean took cautious steps toward his mother, "I'm your son. I'm sorry I don't know how else to say it. We're from the year 2010. An angel zapped us back here, not the one that attacked you, a friendlier one.." He trailed off.

"You can't expect me to believe that." She whispered.

"Our names are Sam and Dean Winchester. We're named after your parents. When I would get sick, you would make me tomato rice soup, because that's what your mom would make. And instead of a lullaby, you would sing 'Hey Jude'. That's your favorite Beatles song."

Tears were flowing down Mary's cheeks, and Jo suddenly felt like and intruder, but she was trapped int the kitchen, Dean blocking her only way out.

"I'm sorry but it's true." Dean bowed his head again.

"I raised my kids to be hunters?" Mary asked angry at the thought.

"No you didn't, you didn't do that," Dean took a few steps closer, "because your dead."

"What happened?"

"The yellow eyed demon. He killed you and John became a hunter to get revenge." Dean answered. "He raised us in this life... but, listen to me, a demon comes into Sam's nursery exactly six months after he's born, November 2 1983. Remember that date, and what ever you do, do not go in there." He begged.

"That's not good enough Dean." Sam interrupted from the hallway. "Where ever she goes, he'll find her, find me."

"Well then what?" Dean asked.

"She can leave dad, that's what." He turned to look at Mary, "You've got to leave John, run away, and never look back."

"What?" Mary cried, "No, I can't."

"You both would never be born." Jo finally spoke from the kitchen, her eyes only on Dean. He met her gaze with longing and sadness of what never was.

"No, I can't." Mary argued. "You're saying that you're my children and now you're-"

"We're telling you that this is your only choice. There's a big difference between dying and never being born, we're okay with that, I promise." Sam begged. Dean bowed his head.

"There has to be another way." Mary pleaded.

"No there's not." Dean whispered his head still bowed, wringing his hands together. "You have to leave John."

"No," Mary's voice started to rise. "You don't understand. I can't. It's too late. I'm pregnant."

"Hey!" John shouted as he bounded down the stairs, "We've got a problem. Those sigil's I was drawing are gone."

"Gone?" Jo questioned.

"Yeah, like I drew one on a door and turned around and it was a smudge." John exclaimed.

Mary examined the floor, where she had drawn the angel trap, "The holy oil's gone too."

The few lights that they had began to flicker and Jo could feel the house vibrating under her feet. Then came the high pitch screech that pierced the air, bringing her to her knees covering her ears. Dean covered her body as the glass from the windows and lights exploded around them.

The back door flung open and Dean pulled Jo behind him, as a man in a tailored blue suit strode into the kitchen. "Who are you?" Dean asked, slowly backing up.

"Uriel." He answered.

"Oh for fuck's sake," Dean muttered as he pushed Jo and now his Mother further into the room, only to be blocked in by Anna. He pulled Jo close to him, "Protect her." And then looked to Sam, "Here goes nothing."

Jo turned immediately and grabbed Mary by the arm, pulling her away as far as she could from the angels, both of them blocking the doors, and the windows surrounded in broken glass, it was useless to try to escape.

Jo watched as Uriel stalked Dean crawling on the ground, only to serve him with another kick in the gut, she wasn't watching for John to try and grab the knife that Dean had dropped.

Anna stepped in front of him and threw him out one of the large living room windows, turning her eyes on Jo and Mary. Jo looked for anything to stall Anna, anything at all. She picked up a lamp on the table next to her smashed it over her head, Anna of course was unharmed.

Sam jumped in between them with his knife ready in hand. Anna spun pulling a pipe from the wall then shoving it in Sam's gut. "No!" Jo screamed.

"Sammy!" Dean tried yelling for his brother as Uriel's hand closed around his windpipe. "Jo!"

Jo turned her attention back to Anna who was now stalking her. Jo, knowing it was hopeless, rushed at the angel, who, with a flick of her wrist, threw her into the fireplace. Jo felt her head hit the brick and Dean call out her name before it went dark.

* * *

The sun poured in threw the window and across Jo's eyes. "Ugh," She groaned, she felt someone move on the bed.

"Hey sleeping beauty. I thought you were never going to wake up." Dean said brushing a stray hair off her face.

"Where are we?" She asked opening her eyes.

"We're back home, well, in our own time." Dean answered tracing his fingers across her cheek.

"Where's Sam? What happened?" Jo leaned up on her elbows, only to fall back down on the bed, her pounding headache slamming her back down.

"Sam's fine. I had a conversation with Michael. He hijacked my dad." Dean said nonchalantly. "How's your head?"

"It hurts, what do you mean he hijacked your dad?"

"Shh," He pulled her head towards him and kissed her forehead. "I'll get you some aspirin."

Jo pushed her self up, wincing at the light bouncing off the walls. "Dean. What did he say?"

Dean sighed as he filled up a cup with water, handing her the pills and cup. He smiled, "Nothing I didn't already know."

"Hey, you're awake." Sam came into the room holding up a brown paper bag. "I got the necessities." He set the bag down and pulled out a bottle of whiskey.

"You up for a drink?" Dean asked Jo.

"Castiel?" Jo asked, pointing at the angel standing behind Dean and Sam.

Castiel stood dazed, blood coming from his nose again. Dean caught him before he fell, "Whoa, whoa," He dragged him to the edge of the bed and laid him down. "Well," He held out an empty glass to Sam. "I'm ready for that drink now."

Sam nodded, pouring him and Jo a glass, taking his straight from the bottle.

"Well," Dean said after a few swallows. "This is team free will." He nodded looking around at all of us. "One ex-blood junkie, one drop out with six bucks to his name, Mr. Comatose over there, and Barbie."

"I recent that." Jo said rubbing her eyes, downing the rest of her glass.

"It's not funny Dean." Sam took a swig from the whiskey bottle.

"I'm not laughing." Dean met his brother's gaze.

Sam sighed defeated. "They all think, we'll say yes."

"Yeah, I know, it's getting annoying." Dean nodded.

"Neither of you will." Jo confirmed, more for her own selfish reasons. They were the only family she had.

"Of course not." Sam said, Dean agreeing into his glass. "But, Michael got dad to say yes."

"Sam," Dean urged. "That was different, Anna was going to kill mom."

"So?" Sam protested. "What if that was you? Would you save mom?" He pushed, "What if it was Jo? What would you say?"

Dean looked at Jo, then back at Sam, shaking his head, taking the whiskey bottle, filling his glass back up, giving Sam the glass and keeping the bottle he left the room.

* * *

It was hours before Sam finally fell asleep, he had talked and talked and talked about all of his choices, he told Jo everything, which was surprising to her, since they had never had this kind of relationship before. Sam must have not been blessed with the tolerance that Dean hand. "I wish Dean would get his head out of his ass and just be with you already." He slurred as he took the last swig from his drink. "Then you wouldn't just feel like my sister, you'd be my sister."

"Okay, big guy," Jo said taking the empty glass from him and set it on the nightstand. "Why don't you get some sleep. We'll put this place in the review mirror tomorrow."

Castiel, was still passed out on the edge of the bed with Sam. She waited until Sam was snoring soundly before she snuck out of the room to find Dean.

She didn't have to go that far, he was sitting on the curb by his car. "Hey," She tried getting his attention. He didn't budge. "Hey," She nudged him with her knee.

He wobbled back and forth, the bottle falling from his hand and clanking on the cement, clearly empty. "Hey," He dragged out the word. "How about that rain check? He wrapped his arm around her leg.

"How about a rain check for that rain check?" Jo tried pulling him up, "Come on, let's go back to the room."

"Wait, wait," He stumbled to his feet, "But I'm a wanted man, sweetheart, my time could come at any moment."

"Yeah, no ones coming tonight." Jo pulled his arm around her shoulder and started walking him back to the room.

"Ha!" He pointed at her, "I see what you did there." He wrapped his other arm around her waist, effectively stopping her efforts. "But really Jo, I'm really happy you're here." He squeezed the side of her hip, his hand brushing the exposed skin there, "With me. I'm happy you're here with me." He pulled her to him for one of the sloppiest kisses she'd ever received, and started pin balling his way back to the room, "I really like you Jo!" He shouted over his shoulder. "And one of these days, I will give you babies." He pushed the door open to there room and passed out face first on her bed.

She locked the door behind her, watching all of her boys sleep, "Awesome."


	4. Chapter 3: 99 Problems

The next day the sun was blinding, which didn't help the migraine Jo had acquired the night before, and Castiel had left before any of them woke up. Because Castiel was not there to heal them and due to Dean's debilitating hang over, after an hour of arguing and pleading, he finally let go of his precious keys and agreed to let Jo drive.

He refused to sleep and sat in the passenger seat judging her driving skills the whole time. "I'm sure you'll feel a lot better if you just took a nap, Dean." Jo whined. He was getting on her last nerve.

"And leave you unsupervised?" He scoffed, "I don't think so. Not with my baby." He looked over his shoulder to check that Sam was still asleep. "Hey, I'm sorry about last night." He leaned over the seat looking at her over his sunglasses.

Jo shrugged, "It's okay."

"No, it's not." Dean readjusted himself in his seat. "You deserve better than that." He muttered.

Jo sighed and slumped her shoulders. "Dean, I'm an adult. I can decide that for myself." Jo could feel him watching her out of the corner of her eye.

"I shouldn't have kissed you." Dean almost whispered.

"That's it." Jo pulled the Impala onto the gravel shoulder of the country highway. She threw the car in park and yanked open the door, stomping to the back of the car. She heard the passenger door shut as she leaned her hands on the trunk of the car.

"Jo? What you doing?" Dean asked coming over to her side, blocking his eyes from the sun with his hand, his sunglasses not doing the trick.

"What are you doing?" Jo turned on him. "One minute your all in, and the next your backing away." Jo threw her hands up in frustration.

Dean took his sunglasses off and rubbed his eyes. "Jo, do we have to do this right now?"

"When Dean?" Jo's voice was strained as she mirrored Dean and rubbed her own eyes.

"It's just not the right time."

"Oh!" Jo barked, "Really? Cause I thought we were making our own time?" Jo crossed her arms over her chest.

"Jo." Dean pleaded, reaching a hand to her elbow. "I will make time, just not right now. I promise." His hand moved down to her hip trying to pull her to him.

Jo pulled away from his grasp. "I won't hold my breath." She moved to go back into the car.

"Jo," Dean grabbed her hand to stop her, "Wait, please."

"For what Dean?" Jo turned around to face him. "For what?"

"I'm sorry, okay?" Dean threw his hands in the air. "I'm not good at this, alright."

Jo leaned against the car. "Dean, you gotta do something, or I'm gonna go to Bobby's. I can't do this back and forth shit."

"Come on, Jo, don't leave." Dean pleaded.

Jo turned to look at him. He hadn't put his sunglasses back on yet, and his eyes were flooded with grief, she could see he sincerely did not want her to leave. She took a step closer to him, putting a hand on his cheek, meeting his lips with hers just as softly as he had at the Campbell safe house. "Give me a reason to stay," She whispered against his lips.

"Jo," Dean breathed letting his forehead lean against hers, as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "They will hurt you, to get to me."

"They can do that now." Jo wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm a big girl Dean, I can take care of myself."

Dean sighed, "Maybe you should go to Bobby's."

Jo pushed him away from her violently. "You're unbelievable," she spit through gritted teeth.

"I'm just trying to keep you safe." Dean practically begged her.

"Whatever Dean," Jo reached in through the open window of the car and grabbed the keys from the ignition. "Do whatever you want Dean." She walked around Dean to the trunk, opening it, and pulling her bag out, swinging it over her shoulder. "You're an ass, you know that." Jo tossed him the keys to the Impala.

"Jo, come on," Dean shouted after her, "Don't do this."

"Fuck off, Dean." Jo shouted over her shoulder.

* * *

Jo made it the shopping center she had seen from the road in about a half hour, and in true Winchester fashion, Dean did not follow her.

She found a Jeep Cherokee with a window open enough for her to get the door open. She hot-wired the car in a minute flat, and was back on the road in two. She didn't go to Bobby's. For two weeks she was on the road.

It took her three days to get to the Roadhouse, she stood in the rubble for about at hour, just kicking over rocks, imaging the bar, the pool tables. Her mother behind the bar, in a flannel t-shirt, wiping her hands on an old dish towel, smiling at her.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by her phone ringing. "Yeah Bobby." She answered.

"Hey, Dean told me you were headed this way."

"Yeah, I took a long detour."

"Want to take a longer one?" Bobby asked, she could hear dishes clinging in the back ground.

"What's going on?" Jo asked, already heading toward the car. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, no I'm fine, I'm just saying if you need to take a bit longer to get here..." Bobby trailed off, Jo heard a female voice coming from the other end of the phone and she stopped walking.

"Bobby, do you have a woman over?" Jo asked incredulously into the phone.

"So what if I do?" Bobby asked defensively. "I ain't dead yet."

Jo laughed, "Alright, just let me know when the coast is clear."

Jo got back into the Jeep and started it. Where could she go? Deciding she put the car in drive and headed to the storage unit she had in Duluth.

* * *

She drove all day to get there, sleeping in the Jeep over night. She methodically packed the boxes into the Jeep, closing the trunk, and locking up the empty storage unit. She handed the keys over to the attendant,, got back in the Jeep and headed to her mom's. She took her sweet ass time getting there though. She went down through Iowa, taking a few small jobs along the way, nothing more than three days. It felt good to actually do something. The memory of Dean holding her on cases kept her anger with him strong.

She stopped in Missouri to spend the night before going into Nebraska, toward her mother's old house. After she checked in and put her bags away she went to the bar down the street to get something to drink.

"Hello, honey, what can I get for you?" A middle aged woman from behind the bar asked. Her blonde hair, highlighted with gray, was pulled back in a messy pony tail, she wore a red t-shirt with the logo of the bar on it tucked into her jeans. Her name tag read Arlene.

"Just a beer, whatever you have on tap is fine." Jo answered.

"Come right up." Arlene filled a glass from the tap and set it down in front of her. "Just holler if you need anything."

Jo nodded her thanks, and pulled the glass to her lips.

"Joanna Beth Harvelle." A familiar voice called from behind her.

Jo spun on the bar stool to see who it was, one hand reaching down to the hilt of the knife in her boot, pulling it back when she saw who it was. "Walt. What are you doing out here?"

Walt took a seat next to her, "Oh, just some cleaning up."

Jo spun back the right way and took another sip of her beer. "I've never known you to be the cleanly type."

"You haven't heard?" He asked leaning on the bar, closer to Jo, dropping his voice to just above a whisper. "The Winchester's turned."

Jo shook her head, turning to look at Walt. "What are you talking about?" Jo's free hand rested on her knee, ready to grab her knife at a moments notice.

Walt motioned to Arlene for a beer. "Me and Roy came down here to clean house. We can't have that kind of business in the community."

Jo finished off her beer, knowing she was going to need the alcohol in her system for his answer. "What did you guys do?"

Walt tipped his imaginary hat when Arlene set down his glass, he took a large gulp before answering. "We put them down, and then got out of there."

"Where?" Jo's heart had dropped, her stomach had turned over, she felt like she was going to vomit.

"The Marshall Motel in Pebble, Missouri." Walt gave the information freely. His hand traveling from her knee slowly up to her thigh.

"Walt, if your hand goes up any farther, I will castrate you with a cigar cutter." She turned on the stool to look Walt in the eye. "You're fucking lucky we're in a public place, because I would shoot your fucking brains out."

Walt held up his hands, "What you still didn't have a thing for Dean did you?"

Jo slammed her money down on the table. "Shut the fuck up, Walt." She took the back of his head and slammed it against the bar, effectively knocking him out cold. She kicked the leg of the stool as she left, leaving Walt unconscious on the floor.

As soon as she got out of the bar she ran to the motel, grabbed her bags from the room and then sat in the Jeep. She didn't know what to do, he was dead. For hours now. There was nothing she _could_ do. She pulled out her phone and called Bobby.

"Bobby." She called before he could even say hello.

"Jo? Where are you?" Bobby asked, his voice tired.

"Dean and Sam are dead." She cried into the phone.

She heard shuffling through the phone, "Yeah, where are you? Why don't you just come straight here?"

Jo nodded wiping the tears of her cheeks, "Okay, I'm three hours out."

"Are you okay to drive?" Bobby's voice softened. "I could come get you."

Jo chuckled sadly into the phone. "How are you gonna do that at this hour?" She shook her head, "No, I'm awake now. I'll see you soon."

* * *

Jo rode in silence for three hours. She thought seriously about driving the Jeep off an overpass. She was officially dead inside. Her mother was dead. Ash was dead. Her father was dead. Sam was dead, and so was Dean. All she had was Bobby, and as much as she wanted to she couldn't leave him hear alone.

She pulled into the Singer lot, the kitchen and living room lights were on, and Jo could see multiple shadows in the house. Probably other hunter's who had heard the news. Jo sighed, she was in no mood for a hunter reunion, especially under these circumstances. She put her hands across the steering wheel and leaned her head against it trying to regain what little strength she had left.

She took two deep breathes, "You are a hunter, you are strong, you are a Harvelle." She reminded herself. She pulled the visor down to see what damage she had done to her face. Her eyes were puffed up beyond repair, and her face was pale. She pinched her cheeks for color and fluffed up her hair. Tried as she might, she looked just like she felt. Broken.

"You can't fix gorgeous, sweetheart." Dean's raspy voice floated to her ears.

She turned to see Dean standing just outside the door of the Jeep. Jo slowly pulled the keys from the ignition and got out of the car, she reached out to touch Dean's cheek. "You're not dead."

"Sorry to disappoint you." He chuckled.

"Disappoint?" Jo whispered back to him. "I thought you were dead." Her heartache growing into rage by the second.

"Well, I was, but they sent me back, again." Dean tried pulling her closer to him.

Jo pulled her right fist back and punched him square in the nose. "That's twice now, Dean!"

"Ow, what the fuck Jo! I'd thought you'd be happy." Dean covered his nose with his hands.

"That is twice you have died and haven't called me." Jo pointed at him.

"I'm sorry, Jesus, I was a bit busy." Dean wiped the small amount of blood coming from his nose on his sleeve.

"Oh and the four hour drive from Pebble wasn't enough time for you?!" Jo barked.

"Wait? How did you know where we were?" Dean asked.

"Because Walt told me." Jo crossed her hands over her chest, smiling at the memory, "And then I slammed his head against the bar."

"You ran into Walt?" Dean took a step closer to her, "I didn't know, if I had, I wouldn't have told Bobby to keep it a secret."

"You what?!" Jo screamed.

"I wanted it to be a surprise." He offered.

"A surprise? A fucking surprise." Jo pushed him away from her, causing him to stubble a few steps, "I had to drive three hours, thinking you were dead, for this?" Jo turned on heel and marched up to the house, she swung the front door open violently. "Bobby!"

"In here Jo." She heard his voice say from the kitchen.

"Jo." Dean called, following her up to the house.

"Fuck you Dean." Jo called back over her shoulder. "Bobby, how could you do that to me?"

"I'm sorry Jo. But everyone's alright," He said gesturing to Sam sitting at the small kitchenette. "Just take it down a notch. He knows he's an idjit." Bobby tried to reason with her, pointing at Dean behind her.

"Take it down a notch?" That was not going to happen. Jo was furious. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Why don't you go lie down? Take a nap. Maybe you'll feel better." Bobby suggested.

Jo nodded, not seeing anything but red. "I know what will make me feel better," Jo said walking past Dean, onto the front porch. "I'm gonna go put a crow bar through the Impala's windshield."

"Whoa, whoa!" She heard Dean start to chase after her, before she started sprinting. He was right on her the whole time, when she reached the garage to pull the side door open his hands slammed on either side of her, boxing her in and closing, what little she had gotten the door open. "Jo, stop."

Jo turned to face him, her back against the door. "Or what?" she pushed against his chest, he didn't budge.

"I'm not playing any more Jo." Dean's voice was dark and firm.

"Then what are you doing? Huh?" Jo's eyes started to well up with tears she never wanted him to see. "I thought you were fucking dead! Don't you know how.." She stopped herself to look down at her shoes. She would not be the first one to say it.

"I'm sorry, okay," Dean put his hand under her chin. "If it's any constellation I got chased through heaven by a psycho angel."

"It's not," Jo glared at him.

"Can you please not be mad at me?" He asked.

"No," Jo chuckled, she punched his shoulder lightly, "You're such an asshole."

"Yeah, well, I'm an asshole who really likes you. Now let's get you inside, get some food in you." Dean said taking a couple steps toward the house.

"What?" Jo whispered. "What did you say?"

"Let's get you some food." Dean smiled taking a step back toward her.

"Before that."

"I'm asshole." Dean took another step toward her.

"Dean."

"Oh, that." He said only a breath away from her. "You heard me."

Jo couldn't move.

Dean put both hands on her hips and wiggled them playfully back and forth. "I know it's probably not the best time, or place for that matter," He laughed looking around at all the rusted car parts surrounding them. "I'm sure you thought it would be more romantic or something like that. But it's true."

"What about them using me to hurt you?" Jo whispered, still unsure of his admission.

Dean shrugged. "It doesn't change the fact." He put both hands on her cheeks, "And I'm sorry for being an ass, I am just petrified that I might have to watch you die someday." He pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "But I think I'm more scared to be with out you."

"So what are you going to do about it?" Jo smiled wrapping her arms around his neck.

Dean smiled back putting his arms around her waist and pulling her to his chest. "I think I might have to cash in that rain check." He spoke against her lips.

"I think that's the best idea you've ever had." She joked, as Dean tangled his hand in her hair crushing her lips to his.

This kiss was different then the ones they had before, this one was dangerous, deadly, violent. They kissed as if they were dying, and Jo supposed they were in a strange way. The way they lived their lives, the enemies they made. They were getting closer to death everyday.

Dean opened the door to the garage behind her, never breaking contact with her lips, as the door slammed shut she jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist, one of his hands behind her neck and one supporting her weight. He sat her down on the hood of the Impala before he broke contact with her.

Slowly his hands on her waist slid upwards, bringing her shirt with them, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. She held her hands above her head to help him. When his lips met hers again, it was much softer, more like he was savoring her, instead of devouring. She pulled his flannel off his shoulders and down his arms, pulling his shirt off next, when he laid her down against the car she hissed at the cold. He was on top of her before she could even form a complete thought about the temperature.

* * *

"What do you mean you're leaving?" Jo asked, pulling the sheet around her chest, feeling suddenly very exposed.

"It's just a quick case that Sam found, I won't be gone long, just maybe about a week." Dean rolled over on the bed, throwing his arm around Jo's waist.

"So take me with you." Jo reasoned, they all had been shacked up at Bobby's for three days, she was starting to get antsy too.

"How about you stay with Bobby, help him out with the phones?" He suggested into the side of her neck.

Jo leaned up on her elbow to look down at Dean. "Is this how it's going to be?" She asked. "You keep me locked up safe at Bobby's? Why don't I just wait for you in the panic room?"

"It's not like that Jo." Dean rolled over onto his back throwing his arm over his eyes.

"I'm a hunter too, Dean." Jo plopped back on the bed. "I know you'll be worried about me. I get it. I worry about you too." She tried using a softer tone, knowing that feelings were not Dean's strong suite.

"Jo," Dean begged. "Please don't start."

"You said you were leaving today, when the fuck am I supposed to start, when your driving down the road?"

Dean sat up, pulling his pants on, "I'm going Jo."

"Great, wonderful, don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out." Jo rolled away from the door, only to whip back around, "What are you going to do when I go out hunting?"

Dean zippered up his jeans, slowly buckling his belt, "Why can't you wait till after the apocalypse?" Dean knelt on the bed, "Just so that I know you're safe."

Jo sighed. "Just go, Dean." She rolled back over pulling the blanket up higher.

Dean leaned over and kissed her bare shoulder. "I'll call you." And he was out the door.

"No you won't." Jo said to thin air.

* * *

It only took her 30 hours to break Bobby.

"Damn it, Jo." He slammed his fist against the arm of his wheelchair. "If I tell will you promise not to run after him?" Knowing as soon as he said it that that was exactly what she was going to do. He sighed. "They're in Blue Earth, Minnesota."

"Thanks Bobby." She grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him on the top of his head, and raced out the door, her bag already in the trunk of her old Mustang. The six hour trip only took her five, as she pulled up to the barricade, a boy no older then seventeen came up to her window. "What are you doing here?" His rifle pointed at her chest. She stool a quick look at the red truck with Enochian symbols on the side.

"I think you and me are in the same line of work." She nodded toward the truck.

"You a hunter?" He asked, looking over his shoulder quickly.

"Yes, I am." She answered, the boy still looked wary. "You got holy water on you?" He nodded. "Here." She rolled up her sleeve. "Test me out."

He pulled the flask from around his neck and sprinkled her arm, when nothing happen he waved his arms to the others, opening a path for her. "Welcome to Blue Earth." He smiled gesturing her forward.

"Thank you!" She waved out the window and drove through the barricade. She was stopped by a preacher with a 9MM strapped to his leg. "Pastor," she nodded, putting the car in park she stood and extended her hand. "I'm Jo Harvelle. I'm a hunter."

"Well hello Jo." He said taking her hand, "I'm Pastor Gideon. We're attracting a bunch of hunter's. You're the third one this week."

Jo let go a playful laugh, "Well we go where the demons are."

"Well, come on, follow me into town, I'll show you our base."

* * *

Their base was an old church that looked like it was out of a quaint New England town. Except for the Demon trap in the door way and the two armed guards. He brought her through to the back of the church where all the ammunition was being made. "Wow, this is impressive." She said looking around, even small children were at the table packing salt rounds.

"Well, we had to make due with what we had." The Pastor whistled, "Ah, here's one of the hunter's I told you about."

"Jo?" She heard Dean say from behind her.

She turned with a devilish smile on, "Dean?" She put her hand on her hip playfully, "You didn't tell me you were coming here." Jo was all prepared to play cute and be all innocent, until she saw a young lady sneak out from the room that Dean was just in.

"Oh, Jo, and here's my daughter, Leah. Leah, another hunter has come to help us." Pastor Gideon pulled his daughter to his side.

It took everything that Jo had to smile politely at this girl. "It's so nice to meet you Leah."

"She's a profit, Jo." Dean's tone already edging on apologetic.

"Oh is she?" Jo turned to him, her gaze ice, she turned back to Leah, "That's very special. Excuse me." Jo pushed her self past Dean and went out the side door, taking an enormous breath of air as she reached the outdoors.

"Jo?" Dean followed her, "What are you doing here?"

"The Pastor daughter Dean?" Jo turned on him. "Really?"

"Nothing happened." Dean insisted.

"And the sick part is, is that I believe you." Jo stomped around him and back toward the side door of the church.

"Where are you going?" Dean turned to watch her go, his voice exasperated.

"To do my job Dean." She swung the door open and went to get some more information.

* * *

Jo spent all day avoiding Dean, and she was doing a pretty good job of it. After the Pastor had called it a night she had two more hours before curfew. She finally found the only bar in town, with Sam and the bartender it's only occupant.

"I just think God stopped caring a long time ago." She heard Sam say as she walked in.

"Well, hello there," The bartender whistled as she walked in. "You're new in town."

"That's my brother's girlfriend, Jo." Sam said as he got down from his stool to give her a half hug.

"I don't have a boyfriend Sam, and it's most definitely not your brother." Jo took a seat next to where Sam had been sitting.

"What did he do now?" Sam asked sitting back down, taking another chug of his beer.

"He's just himself, his self-righteous bastard self." Jo took the glass that bartender handed her, "Thank you."

"You know, Jo." The bartender leaned across the table, "I'm Paul," He reached out his hand to her, "and I'm single."

Jo laughed, "Well, thanks, Paul."

* * *

Jo spent the next two hours, drinking with Sam and Paul, actually having a bit of fun. When they left, Sam had asked if he could hitch a ride with her, she of course said yes.

The majority of the ride was silent, until Jo turned down the street of the motel. "You know he's in love with you right?" He asked her, leaning on the door, looking out the window.

"No I did not." She answered, her knuckles white on the steering wheel.

"He does." Sam nodded. "He wouldn't be this much of an ass if he didn't."

Jo laughed. "Like a second grader, he punches the girls he likes."

"I'm serious. He's just lost right now, and he's trying to keep you safe in the process." Jo could see him turn to look at her out of the corner of her eye. "He's just not very good at it."

"Yeah tell me about it," She groaned pulling into the motel parking lot.

"Just give him a little slack."

"Sam, he's not going to keep me locked up at Bobby's." Jo argued as Sam went to get out of the car.

"Trust me, even he knows that." Sam closed the door and went into his motel room. Ironically enough it was the one right next to Jo's. She sat in her car for a couple of minutes toying with her keys before she went inside.

She entered her room, turned on the light, and flung herself on the bed farthest from the door. The walls where absolutely paper thin, she could almost everything that Dean and Sam were saying.

"So what? You just want to just stop fighting? Roll over?" She heard Sam's voice come through the wall.

She couldn't make out Dean's muffled response, but she could hear Sam clearly.

"You think your the only one white-knuckling it here? What about Jo? We're – I'm counting on you. I need you. We can't do this with out you."

She heard Dean's muffled response and a door slam.

* * *

She must have fallen asleep because the next sound she heard was someone knocking on her door. "Jo?" Sam's voice came into her room.

"I'm coming." She mumbled, stumbling over her bag as she reached for the door. "What's up?" She asked as she pulled the door open.

"Have you seen Dean?"

"No, I haven't. Did you loose him?" Jo asked pulling her hair into a pony tail.

"Kind of," Sam looked up and down the row of motel rooms. "I've looked everywhere."

"Well he's gotta be here somewhere, the whole towns on lock down. Let me change and I'll come over to wait with you."

* * *

A hour later Jo was sitting on the bed flipping through some of the books that Sam had brought when Dean finally strolled in with his hands coated in blood.

"Dean?" Sam stood from the table where he was sitting, "Are you alright?" He asked spotting his hands.

"Yeah, I'm okay." He looked down at his hands. "It's not mine. Paul is dead. Jane shot him."

"It's starting," Castiel croaked from the couch.

"What's starting? Better question, where the hell have you been?" Dean turned to Castiel.

"On a bender," He barked back.

"Did he say bender?" Dean looked at Sam.

"Yeah, he's still pretty smashed." Sam confirmed.

"It is not of import." Castiel burped. "We need to talk about what's happening here." Castiel flung his hands in front of him.

"I'm all ears," Dean muttered heading to the sink to wash his hands. He glanced at Jo sitting cross legged on the bed, but didn't say anything.

"Well," Jo sat up straight, almost vindictively. "Leah, is not a real profit."

Dean turned back to look at her, and then to Sam, who nodded. "Then what is she?" He asked wiping his hands on a dish towel.

"The Whore." Castiel interjected.

"Wow. Cas." Dean raised his eyebrows. "Tell us what you really think."

"She shall rise when Lucifer walks the Earth, offering false prophecy," Castiel read from the book in front of him. "This creature has the power to take human form, read minds," Dean sat in the side chair next to Castiel, as he turned the book so Dean could get a better look.

"The book of Revelation calls her the Whore of Babylon." Jo added nonchalantly as she turned a page in the book she was reading, not looking up at the boys.

"The real Leah was probably killed months ago." Sam said looking over to Jo and then back to Dean.

"And the demon's in the town." Dean was all business. There would be no breaking into his concentration now.

"Under her control." Castiel, the dutiful solider, supplied. "And the Enochian exorcism fake. It actually means, 'You breed with the mouth of a goat.'" A slow smile spreading across his lips as he translated it. Everyone, including Jo looked at him, with confusion on their face. "It's funnier in Enochian."

"So the demon's smoking out, that's just a con?" Dean asked, "Why? What's the end game?"

"What you saw. Innocent blood spilled in God's name." Castiel answered.

Dean stood to put the dish towel he had been holding back.

"You heard all that heaven talk. She manipulates people." Sam said from his spot on the couch.

"To slaughter and kill and sing peppy little hymns. Awesome," He said sarcastically as he threw the dish towel in the direction of the sink.

"Her goal is to condemn as many souls as possible." Castiel leaned on his knees, "And it's just beginning, she's well on her way to drag this whole town into the pit."

"Alright, then how do we go all Pimp Babylon on this bitch." Jo clapped her hands from where she sat on the bed.

Castiel disappeared. "Oh, what the fuck?!" Dean shouted, as soon as he finished, Castiel reappeared.

He placed a wooden stake on the table. "The whore can be killed with this. It's a stake made from a cypress tree in Babylon."

"Great, let's ventilate her." Dean picked up the stake examining it.

"It's not that easy." Castiel instructed.

"It never is." Jo interjected.

"The Whore can only be killed by a true servant of Heaven." Castiel ignored her two cents.

"A servant like?" Sam asked taking the stake from Dean.

"Not Dean, or Jo, or me, and you, of course, Sam, are an abomination." Castiel, turned on his heel and began pacing the floor. "We will have to find someone else. I'll be right back."

"Wait, Cas, where are you going?" Dean stopped him before he disappeared.

"I'm going to get Pastor Gideon." Castiel stated.

Jo pulled her knees under her and knelled on them. "He would have to stab his own daughter." She argued.

"I don't think we have another choice, Jo." Sam said gently. Jo sat back on her feet and wrung her hands in her lap.

"What are you going to tell him?" Dean asked Castiel, ignoring the exchange around him.

"That I'm an angel of the Lord." With that Castiel disappeared, returning in a under a minute with Pastor Gideon.

"What the hell was that?" The pastor looked around the room at the hunters.

"Yeah, he wasn't lying about that angel thing." He motioned to the side chair, "Have a seat, padre, we need to have a chat."

He looked warily at the hunters and the angel and finally took a seat. Dean explained the situation, and what he needed to do.

At first he refused, as any father would, but Sam pushed gently, urging him to see their side. Dean held up the stake to him.

"Why does it have to be me?" He begged, looking at the stake as if it would damn him to hell if he touched it.

"Because you are servant of Heaven." Castiel interjected.

"And you're an angel," Pastor Gideon accused.

Castiel bowed his head, "A poor example of one." He met the pastor's gaze under thick eyelashes, nodding as if understanding more than what was said.

He looked back at the stake, his shoulders haunched, pain radiating from his body. He took it in his hands turning it over and over, as if to find some secret, something that will make the outcome any different. "Okay." He whispered.

The Pastor let them in the back door to his office, it was the only door unguarded, because he was the only one with the key.

When the Whore shut the door on the wardrobe, Castiel grabbed her by the arms, leaving her chest open, Pastor Gideon raised the stake to kill her. "Daddy, please don't hurt me." The rouse lasted long enough for the pastor to hesitate. Leah spoke some Enochian that caused Castiel to writhe in pain. Throwing them all against the walls and booking it into the rec room, claiming that they were demon's trying to kill her.

"Padre, no!" Dean shouted as he struggled to get off the floor, trying to catch the pastor. "Jo?" He called.

"I'm fine, go." She answered back, rising from behind the pastor's desk.

Dean nodded and raced after Pastor Gideon.

By the time she reached the room, Sam was getting jumped by Jane, as her husband laid on the floor unconscious, no doubt Sam's handy work. Jo came up behind him and grabbed the woman by the hair, pulling her down toward the ground, Jane let her arms around Sam's neck go as she fell, hitting her head on the tile floor, a mirror image of her husband. "Get the kids," Sam ushered Jo in the direction of the closet door and leaped over Jane toward Leah and Dean.

As Jo reached for the door, another one of the holy soldier's side lined Sam pushing him into the wall behind her. She tried opening the door, but it must have been locked, she backed up and kicked at the door knob with her boots, breaking it off, just in time to see Dean stab the Whore.

She laid back on the floor and black smoke circled the stake and up into the air. Her face spasmming back and forth between the girl Leah and the Whore of Babylon, until her chest burst with flames, burning up the stake and leaving and charred whole in her stomach.

"Come on Padre," Dean pulled the pastor up and put his arm around his shoulder, "Let's get you out of here." As he passed Jo he pulled on her hand gently. "Are you coming?" She nodded and followed him to the pastor's office to get Castiel, who was no longer withering in agony, but was throwing up bile into the waste basket. Dean passed the pastor over to Sam and pulled Castiel to a standing position.

"Dean? How did you do that?" Sam asked as the five of them walked up the back steps and into the parking lot.

"Do what?" Dean asked struggling under Castiel's weight.

"Kill her?" Sam pushed.

"I don't know, long run of luck held out, I guess," Dean joked.

"Last I checked, she could only be ganked by a servant of Heaven." Sam nagged.

"I don't know what you want me to tell you. I saw a shot, I went for it." Dean leaned Castiel up against the car and fumbled with the keys. "Alright, here we go." He pulled the front seat down, so he could help Castiel into the back.

"Here, let me help," Jo climbed into the middle seat in the back, easing Castiel into the seat to her left, and then the Pastor to the seat to her right.

"Are you going to do something stupid?" Sam accused.

"Like what?" Dean was starting to get irritated, she could hear it in his voice.

"Like Michael stupid?" Sam pushed. Jo and Castiel looked at each other.

"Come on, give me a break." Dean climbed into the driver seat and started the car.

"How are you feeling, Padre?" Dean asked as he crossed the motel room to where Jo was patching up Pastor Gideon.

"Well, I'm seeing double, but Jo hear is an excellent nurse," He said smiling at Jo, who returned the gesture.

"Just be glad you don't have a bullet wound." Dean nudged Jo's shoulder. "You'll be okay."

"No," The pastor side, pulling the ice pack away from his head. Jo patted his hand, knowing exactly what he was talking about, she stood and reached for the door handle.

"Where are you going?" Dean asked.

"To bed, I'm tired." Jo closed the door behind her softly and walked over to her room and shut the door, sitting on the chair near the door, pulling her knees up to her chest. She pulled the knife from her boot and spun it in circles on the table. She heard the door next door slam, and the unmistakable sound of the Impala starting. As she closed her eyes against the sound of Sam shouting for his brother, tears fell down her cheek.

She didn't move from that spot for what must have been two hours, when the soft knocks brought her out of her thoughts. Her knees cracked at the movement. She pulled the chain back and saw Dean standing under the yellow light above her door.

"Look, I have no illusions, okay?" Dean put his hand up to stop her before she said anything. I know how all this is going to end for me. Whatever, I'm okay with that, but I want you to know... that when I do picture myself happy... it's with you." Dean took a breath, "You know things are going to get bad, and you've seen who's come after me up until now. But I want you to know, that I'm going to make arrangements for you. Whatever happens, you and Sam are going to be okay."

Jo took a step forward, "Dean? What are you talking about?"

"The people I see next are going to a have to agree to certain things first."

Jo reached for the lapels of his jacket, the pieces finally clicking into place. "No, Dean, no, you can't do this. Please." She begged grabbing onto any part of him that she could. "Please, don't leave me." She cried against his chest.

"I'm sorry baby." He pulled her face to his. "I love you." He kissed her lips, so soft. "Remember that." He pushed her into the room and slammed the door, jamming it so that she couldn't get out. She banged on the door helplessly until her hands were raw, falling onto the pavement as Sam had finally heard her screaming.


	5. Chapter 4: Point of No Return

Sam dragged Jo to her feet trying to calm her hands, she was clawing at him, pushing and pulling trying to get to the door to chase after Dean. "Jo, please," Sam begged pinning her arms around her own waist, "Please, breath."

Jo was having a panic attack. All the pain over the last month, all the stress, finally coming to a head and when she thought she had finally hit the end of her rope, something else slips through and crushes her soul just a bit more. "He's, he's," She wailed.

"Shh, I know." Sam brushed her hair down trying to soothe her. "We're going to get him back. I promise."

Jo let go of the sob she had been trying to hold in.

"I just need you to calm down, okay?" Sam continued to stroke her hair, Jo nodded. "Alright, I need you to drive your car to Bobby's and wait for us there."

Jo nodded, tears silently falling down her face. She tried to even out her breathing, hiccuping every now and then, "Okay." She wiped at her face furiously.

"Okay," Sam released her arms slowly. "I'm gonna go pack your car." Jo nodded as he left the room.

Jo caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and was instantly angry. _How could he do that? Look at me! I'm acting like some pathetic girl, over a stupid boy._ She wiped at her tears furiously.

Sam re-entered the room shortly, "You ready?" His breath was uneven and he was obviously anxious.

"Yeah," Jo turned to look at Sam, "When you find him, I'm going to fucking kill him."

"Yeah, well, get in line." Sam retorted as he shuffled her out of the room, locking the door behind them.

"Bobby?" Jo called as she entered the house.

"Hey," Bobby answered wheeling himself down the hallway, "Did Sam go with Castiel?"

"Yeah, they traced his phone." Jo answered dropping her bag near the door, shoving her keys in her coat pocket before she slid it off her shoulders. "What do you need me to do?"

"Can you go downstairs and get all the weapons out of the panic room?" Bobby pulled some books down from shelf behind his desk and stacked them on his lap before moving over to the desk itself.

"Sure," Jo replied, shuffling her feet in the hallway.

Bobby looked up from what he was doing, feeling her eyes on him. "Is there something wrong Jo?"

Jo laughed sardonically to herself, "I really wish my mom was here."

Bobby wheeled himself back from the desk and toward Jo, "What's going on kid?"

Jo sighed, she needed to get this off her chest, she needed someone to talk to about this. "I don't want to see him when Sam brings him in."

"How come?" Bobby pulled her hand to the nearby chair and gestured her to sit.

She pulled her hand away, she couldn't sit for this conversation. "I'm fucking mad at him. I'm so angry with him. How could he do this to us?!" Jo shouted clawing her hands at the air.

Bobby sighed wheeling back to the desk, "Believe you me, I'm wrestling with the same question. But like it or not, through blood or hardship, we're all family. And you don't turn your back on family."

Jo nodded, still not satisfied with that answer, but knew he was right. She marched down to the panic room, taking anything that Dean could hurt himself with out of the room, leaving the cot with a pillow and a blanket and a chair.

Jo was sitting at the kitchen table looking through books Bobby had already been through, hoping that he had missed something, when Castiel dropped Dean in a heap in the middle of the floor, returning a moment later with Sam.

"No, no, I'm fine," Dean grumbled as he slowly got up from his feet. Dean looked around at all of them, Jo was doing her best to ignore him, Castiel glowered at Dean, and Sam went to look over Bobby's shoulder at the book he was reading. "Yeah, this is great." He clapped his hands, "Eight months of turning pages and screwed pooches, but tonight, tonight is when the magic happens."

"You ain't helping." Bobby muttered over his book.

"Alright, then why don't you let me get out of your hair then." Dean crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

Sam glared up at him.

"What the fuck happened to you?" Bobby let the book fall against the desk.

"Reality happened." Dean advanced on the desk, "Nuclear is the only option. Michael can ice the devil and save a boat load of people."

"But not all of them," Bobby tried to reason. "We gotta find something else."

"Yeah, easy for you to say," Dean moved to lean against the wall again. "If Lucifer burns this mother fucker to the ground, you know what, that's on me."

Bobby leans back in his chair as if Dean had actually hit him. "You can't give up, son."

Dean chuckled into his chest, shaking his head. "Your not my dad, and you ain't in my shoes."

Jo and Sam both look at Bobby. If anyone was the father in their little dysfunctional family it was Bobby, they all knew that, they all felt that. Dean himself had said so on more than one occasion.

Sam turned to Dean and shook his head disappointed, Jo couldn't see his reaction, the wall blocking him from her view, but Bobby sighed opening a draw to his right, pulling out a revolver and slamming it on the table.

He plucked a silver bullet from his pocket, twirling in between his fingers. "What's that?" Dean asked from behind the wall.

"That's the round I mean to put in my skull." Bobby answered, and Jo put her head in her hands to hide the tears she knew were threatening to fall, she heard the clink of metal against wood when he put the bullet down on the desk. "Every morning I look at it, and I think, maybe today's the day I flip the lights out. But I don't do it. I would never do it. You know why?" Jo looked up to see Bobby turn towards Dean, "Because I promised you I wouldn't give up!"

It was eerily silent until Castiel grabbed his head in pain. "Are you okay?" Sam asked turning in his seat to look at Castiel.

"No, I.. Ah!" He gasped, holding onto his forehead.

"What's wrong?" Jo left the table into the living room, putting a hand on Castiel's shoulder.

"Something's happening," His voice sounded very far away.

"Where?" Dean demanded.

Castiel disappeared sending a pile of papers floating to the ground.

"Ugh!" Dean kicked a trunk nearby, "I hate it when he does that!"

"Would you just chill out for a second?" Sam pushed his chair out and took his book in the kitchen, leaning against the fridge. Jo followed taking her seat back at the table.

Dean rubbed his face with his hands and sauntered into the kitchen, "You mind if I get a beer?" He asked Sam.

Sam glared at him but moved to the side so that Dean could open the fridge.

"I need some help," Castiel's voice came in on a gust of wind, Jo saw him head to the couch by the window with someone on his shoulder.

"Boys?!" Bobby shouted from his desk, wheeling himself out to the front of it.

"Who is that?" Jo asked following Sam and Dean as they rushed into the living room.

Castiel laid the boy he was carrying on the couch, giving her a better view of his face. He was a good looking kid, probably her age, maybe a bit younger, covered in dirt.

"That's our brother." Sam breathed as Bobby wheeled himself closer to the boy.

"Wait, your brother Adam?" Bobby asked incredulously.

"You have another brother?" Jo countered taking turns looking at Sam and Dean.

Dean turned around to look at Castiel, "Cas, what's going on here?"

Castiel put two angel knives down on the desk, "Angels," he accused.

"Why?" Sam turned to look at Castiel and then back at his younger brother.

Castiel shook his head looking at Adam and then back to Dean, "I know one thing for sure. We need to hide him now." Castiel walked over and put his hand to Adam's chest, a greenish light appeared out of Castiel's hand causing what looked like excruciating pain, carving the Enochian symbols on his ribs.

Dean turned to look at Jo who had her arms wrapped around her waist. He turned back to Castiel, "You should do that to Jo sometime soon, too." Castiel nodded, moving over to Jo once he had finished Adam.

"Come on," Jo whined to Castiel, "That looked like a bitch."

Castiel nodded, "It is very unpleasant. But necessary."

Jo nodded, putting her hands to her side, bracing herself. It was what she imagined being electrocuted would feel like, her teeth shut together, and her throat closed, she couldn't scream if she wanted to. Then just as soon as it started it was over, just a sore ache left in her ribs. "Thanks, I guess." She panted once it was over.

"You're welcome," Castiel patted her shoulder awkwardly and rejoined the group in the living room.

"Yeah and I'm sure that's Dean," Adam spit out the name as he sat up against the wall. "I know who you are. It warned me about you."

"Who?" Sam asked.

"The angels." Adam wiped at the dirt on his face, "And where the hell is Zachariah?"

"Well, he's not here," Dean turned to grab the whiskey bottle off Bobby's desk. "I think we're going to need some of this. Jo, can you grab some glasses?"

She nodded not trusting herself to speak to him, she grabbed the clean glasses from the cabinet and wet a dish towel for Adam to wash up with.

She put the glasses on the desk, ignoring Dean's light touch on the small of her back, turning to Adam, handing him the towel. "I'm Jo, it looks like you might need this."

"Thanks," Adam wiped his face and then accepted the glass of whiskey from Dean, taking a few sips before he finished cleaning his face and arms.

Dean passed out the glasses, saving the last one for Jo, his fingers briefly brushing against hers as he handed her the glass. He sighed, when she didn't say anything, he took the chair Sam was sitting in and turned it around, sitting in it backwards. "Okay, so why don't we just start from the beginning."

Adam took another gulp of his whiskey. "Well, I was dead, and in heaven." He smirked, that must have been a Winchester trademark. "Except it looked like my prom, and I was making out with this girl. Kristen McGee."

Dean nodded. "Yup, that sounds like heaven. Did you get to third base?"

Jo reached out and slapped him in the back of the head, "Just keep going." Sam said clearing his throat.

"Well, all these angels popped out of nowhere and they say that I'm chosen." Adam dropped his hand on his lap rolling his eyes.

"For what?" Sam urged.

"To save the world." Adam said nonchalantly.

"And how are you gonna do that?" Dean questioned.

"Oh me and some arch angel are going to kill the devil." Adam rolled his head over to look at Dean.

"What arch angel?"

"Michael," Adam answered. "I'm his sword, or his vessel, or something, I don't know."

"Well that's insane," Dean dropped his hands off the back of the chair defeated.

"Not necessarily." Castiel was staring off into space, the wheels in his head clearly turning.

"How do you mean?" Dean turned around in his chair to look at Castiel.

"Maybe their moving on from you Dean."

"That doesn't make any sense." Jo thought out loud.

"Well he is John Winchester's blood line, Sam's brother." Castiel reasoned. "It's not perfect, but it's possible."

"You've got to be kidding me." Dean rubbed his face with his hand.

"Why would they do that?" Sam asked Castiel.

Castiel shrugged. "Maybe their desperate." Then he turned his glare on Dean. "Maybe they wrongly assumed Dean would be strong enough to withstand them."

"You know what, blow me, Cas." Dean flipped the bird over his shoulder at the angel.

"No way, that can't be it," Sam's knuckles were turning white as he kept clenching and unclenching a fist. "All that bullshit about destiny and suddenly they have a plan B?! Does this smell right to anybody?" Sam looked around the room, everyone except Dean shook their heads.

"You know, this has been a moving family reunion, really, but I gotta thing," Adam pointed to the door as he stood.

"Whoa," Sam stood to meet him, "Just listen okay?"

"Unbelievable." Adam breathed out as he turned and sat back down on the couch.

Sam leaned up against the desk, "Now, the angels are lying to you, their full of shit."

Adam laughed into his chest, "Yeah, I don't think so."

"Really?" Sam tested him. "And why not?"

"Because their angels." Adam reasoned, as if that explained all of it.

Sam nodded, Jo could see he was really trying not to freak out, to keep his cool. "Did they tell you they were going to roast half the planet?" He asked angrily.

"They said the fight would get pretty hairy, but he is the devil, so we have to stop him." Adam retorted.

"Yeah, but there's another way." He pressured.

"Great, what is it?" Adam encouraged.

"Well, we're working on the power of love." Dean quipped.

"How's that going?" Adam asked playing along.

"Mm, not good." Dean smiled back at him.

"Look," Sam pleaded, "I know you don't know me from the whole in the wall, but I'm begging you, please, just trust me. Just give me some time."

Adam turned to face his older brother, mulling Sam's request. "Give me one good reason."

"Because were blood." Sam offered.

Adam glared at Sam, "You've got no right to say that to me."

Sam reeled back confused. "You're still John Winchester's son." Jo tried to help.

"No, John Winchester was a guy who took me to a baseball game once a year, I don't have a dad." Adam turned on her, and then back to Sam and Dean. "We may be blood, but we are not family. My mom was family. And if I do my job, I get to see her again. So no offense, but she's the one I give a rats ass about, not you."

Sam nodded. "Fair enough, but if you have just one good memory of dad, you'll give us more time. Please."

Adam looked at his brother's puppy dog eyes and finished the rest of his whiskey. He nodded, "You got anything to eat around here?"

Jo smiled, "Come on, I'll make you a sandwich." Adam followed her into the kitchen and took her empty seat at the table.

"You," Sam pointed at Dean, "Follow me." Dean hesitated, "Now, Dean." Sam pushed. Dean pushed away from the chair knocking it over, following Sam down the stairs.

The only thing that Bobby had for a sandwich was bologna and cheese. Jo spread some mayo on the bread and put the sandwich on a plate, setting it down in front of him. "Sorry." She added and went to go grab some books from upstairs for Bobby.

"What? You gonna pop in the family truckster, drive on down to Wally world?" She heard Adam say sarcastically as she came back down the stairs.

Sam leaned back in his chair taking a pull on his beer. "I'll tell you one thing, attitude like that, you'll fit right in around here."

Jo set the books on the table, putting her hands on her hips, she turned to Sam, "Got him all locked up?" She asked.

"You wanna go and talk to him?" Sam turned in his chair to look at her.

Jo shook her head. "Why should I?"

"Maybe you could talk some sense into him." Sam suggested.

"I have nothing left to say." Jo whispered. Sam nodded, getting up from the table and headed down the basement steps.

Once Sam left she took a seat in the arm chair at the top of the basement steps. The iron re-enforced walls Bobby had redecorated with caused the sound to travel up like a tunnel.

"It's rude to eavesdrop." Bobby noted as he read from one of his books.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jo pulled a book into her lap and pretended to read as she heard the panic room door open.

"You know, the last person that looked at me like that, Cas, was Jo, and I got laid." She heard Dean poke at Castiel, followed by the sound of the heavy metal door closing shut.

She readjusted in her seat to actually read the book she had picked up, her cheeks burning red, as Bobby began to giggle.

* * *

It wasn't long before Sam found his way back up stairs. "How's he doing?" Bobby asked wheeling out to meet him. Sam didn't answer. "How are you doing?"

Sam shrugged, looking at Jo and nodding toward his sleeping younger brother, "You should try and get some sleep too. Bobby's got the books handled."

Jo went to argue but Bobby stopped her. "He's right sweetheart. Go lie down." Jo nodded knowing it was futile, and made her way up to one of the spare bedrooms. She shut the door behind her and leaned against it covering her hands with her face. She didn't realize how tired she was, as soon as her head hit the pillow she was out like a light.

* * *

The next thing she knew she was woken up by Bobby yelling for her downstairs. She slid off the bed, scrabbling to her feet, reaching for the door knob, "Bobby?" She yelled back, as she swung the door open, she leaned over the railing to see that he was okay. "What's going on?" She ran down the stairs to meet him at the bottom.

"Adam's gone." Bobby blurted.

Jo turned on her heel and yanked the front door open rushing out into the yard, kicking up gravel as she ran. She ran around the house three times, calling Sam after each lap. "Bobby, he's not here." She said as she entered in through the back door.

"God damn it!" Bobby slammed his fist on the desk. "I just turned around for a second."

"It's okay, Bobby, we'll find him." Jo looked around the room. "Where did everybody go?"

* * *

"What do you mean he's gone?" Sam yelled after Bobby told him what happened.

"Would you like me to say it in Spanish for you?" Bobby retorted.

"It's not like he could run after him, Sam," Jo defended Bobby, "By the time I got down here he was long gone."

"I just turned around and he disappeared into thin air." Bobby added.

"Because the angel's took him." Castiel appeared in the middle of the room with a bloody and bruised Dean hanging on his arm.

"What happened to him?" Jo rushed to get a better look at his face.

"Me." Castiel answered dropping Dean unceremoniously on the couch.

Jo immediately went to the sink for to get a wet dish towel to clean him up.

"What do you mean the angel's took him?" Bobby asked Cas, suspiciously. "You branded his ribs."

"He must have tipped them." Castiel tried to reason.

"How?" Sam questioned.

"I don't know." Castiel shook his head. "Maybe in a dream, I'm not sure."

Jo wiped the blood off of Dean's face, cleaning off the cut so she could get a better idea of the size. "Who would have taken him?" She asked.

"Zachariah." Castiel spit out the name like it was poison.

"Not your favorite brother, I take it." She remarked.

"No, Zachariah is corrupt." Castiel answered coldly.

"Well what do we do now?" Sam asked the room.

Jo pulled her hand back from Dean's unconscious face. "Let's put him back in the panic room first."

Sam nodded, walking over and grabbing his brother by the arm, sitting him up and putting him over his shoulder. "Come on." Jo followed him down the stairs, taking the first aid kit that Bobby had pulled from the desk drawer as she passed him.

"I'll go see if I can find out where they took him." With that Castiel left in a burst of wind.

* * *

"What are we going to do?" Jo asked Sam quietly as she cleaned the cut on Dean's forehead.

"I don't know, Jo." Sam put his head in his hands, breathing slowly as she doctored Dean.

When she had finished, she packed up all that she had taken out of the small first aid kit and stood. Sam stood with her pulling handcuffs out of his pocket, he walked over to his brother and cuffed him to the bed. Jo watched him as he looked at his sleeping brother and then back to her. "Let's see if Cas found anything out."

* * *

"Are you sure?" Sam asked Castiel the for the second time.

"Yes. I'm positive." Castiel confirmed again.

"Alright, okay," Sam ran his hand through his hair. "What if, I took Dean with me?"

"No." Jo shot it down. "No, you'd be giving them exactly what they want. You know it's a trap."

"Don't be an idjit, boy." Bobby interjected.

"Come on, hear me out." Sam pleaded. "Jo, Dean would never forgive me if I took you with me, and they're too many to handle, so then that just leaves him."

"No." Jo protested. "Bobby?" She looked over behind her for some back up.

Bobby stayed quiet, thinking over the options.

"What other choice do we have?" Sam urged.

"No," Jo repeated. "You guys can't keep deserting me places when you think it might get hairy."

"I'm just trying to give him that many more reasons to come home. To say 'No'." Sam begged her. "Please."

Jo shook her head, "You know," She pointed at Sam, "When all this is over, I swear I'm going to take my time kicking all of your asses."

Sam smiled, "You got it, Jo."

"Well," Bobby clapped his hands, "What are you going to do if he says 'Yes'?"

"I guess I'll figure it out when it happens." Sam shrugged.

"You don't think he'll do it?" Bobby questioned. "I never took you as a fool, Sam."

"I know my brother, Bobby." He turned to look at Jo, "He'll do the right thing."

"Fine, go get the pig ready for his roast." Bobby wheeled into the kitchen to get a beer.

* * *

Jo stood on the front porch with her arms crossed, there was no way she would watch them leave.

"Jo?" His voice came through the screen door. "We're leaving now." He came to stand next to her on the porch, pulling the door closed behind him. "I just wanted to say goodbye."

"Didn't you already do that?" Jo turned to look at him. "If it's okay, I don't need a repeat."

Dean nodded, turning to walk back in the house.

"I love you too, you know." She said into the air in front of her, she heard his boots stop moving on the hardwood of the porch. She knew he was listening. "I have for awhile now. So just so you're aware, that when you go and sacrifice yourself for the greater good, that I'm still here, and a part of me dies every time you do." She looked at him over her shoulder, "I don't think I have another one left in me." He could only meet her eyes for a moment before he walked back in the house and disappeared with Castiel and Sam.

* * *

It was 2:30 in the morning before Sam called.

"Van Nuys?" Bobby repeated. "Really?" He waved Jo over. "Well is he okay? Good How about Adam? Oh, I'm sorry. Uhm, yeah, hold on," Bobby pulled the phone away from his mouth, "Do you want to talk to Dean?"

"Is he asking to talk to me?" Jo asked taking a small step back.

"Oh for crying out loud," Bobby held the phone out to her. "Why do you think I'm askin'?"

She glared at him playfully before she took the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey gorgeous." Dean cooed into the phone.

"Seriously?"

"What?"

"That's how we're going to start this conversation?"

"I'm not Michael's puppet."

"Good."

"You're still mad."

Jo sighed. "Dean, I'm overjoyed you did the right thing, really I am. But yes, I'm still mad, you-" She looked at Bobby who was watching her from behind the desk and stomped up the stairs, shutting the door to the spare bedroom she continued. "You tell me you love me, that you want to be with me, and then you lock me in a motel room to essentially go kill yourself. When am I supposed to be okay with that?"

"I'm-"

"Don't you dare." She warned knowing he was about to apologize.

He cleared his throat. "Can I call you later? You know when I'm not in the car with Sam."

"Fine, where are you?" Jo huffed.

"We're somewhere in Nevada, I'll call you when we get to a motel. I promise."

"Okay, I'm trusting you. You got that." Jo teased. "I'm throwing out big words like trust."

Dean laughed into the phone. A real laugh, the first one she had heard in months. "Okay, okay. I got it."

"Hey, let me talk to Sam real fast."

"Alright, I'll talk to you later," Jo heard Dean pass the phone over to Sam.

"Hello?" Sam answered.

"Make sure he calls me, or you're on my shit list too." She heard Sam laughing before she hung up the phone.

* * *

It took Dean almost two and a half days to call her. Before she even had a chance to say hello he stopped her, "So the reason why it took me so long to call you is that I was involuntarily dragged to a dinner with the God's discussing how to best to kill the devil. When Lucifer himself showed. up."

"Everyone okay?" Jo asked continuing to wash the dishes at Bobby's house.

"Yeah, we're good. We might have a plan."

"Really?" Jo put the dish she was soaping in the hot water in the sink, grabbing the dish towel to wipe her hands. "What is it?"

"I'll tell you when we get there. It shouldn't be long, we're somewhere in the middle of Wyoming... I think."

Jo leaned against the counter, "Cas still a no show."

"So far, but I keep trying him." Dean sighed into the phone, "Listen, Jo," he started.

"It's fine Dean. I get it, I really do." She tried to stop him. "I shouldn't have acted like such a brat, I'm just... It's like..." Jo sighed, all the words she wanted to tell him just slip from her mind.

"I'm the one that acted like a brat." Dean argued. "I shouldn't have said all those things to you."

"Did you not mean them?" Jo questioned into the phone.

"No, of course I did. I just," Dean sighed, "I shouldn't have said them then."

"Wrong time?" Jo chuckled at her own twisted pun.

Dean laughed back, "Very, but they were true."

"Good," Jo's smile was threatened to split her face in two. "It''s just been really hard to do all this, while all _this _is going on."

"I know." Dean sighed, "We'll get the timing down, sooner or later."

"Let's try and make it sooner."

"Deal."

* * *

**Hello all, I just wanted to thank you all for reading! I've thought about this story line for a long time and hope I'm doing all the characters justice. This is by far one of my longer pieces and there's only a few more chapters left. I have already started writing bits and pieces of a sequel.. So please, please let me know what you think of this one, I see all of you reading it lol! Please, please, review! **

**** Also, if you like this one, check out my other Supernatural Fics, Thin Line and the one shot Sometime After Midnight. Yes, I will shamelessly plug my own work for reviews ;)**


	6. Chapter 5: Two Minutes to Midnight

Dean didn't come straight home after Wyoming. In fact, he actually had to turn around. Reports of sickness matching Pestilence's M.O. started popping up in Nevada. Jo hadn't seen him in almost two weeks. They of course would talk on the phone as often as they could and they would text when they couldn't. If he thought he was in trouble, he would text their coordinates to her just in case. But this only happened once and he called her an hour later letting her know he was okay.

"Yeah I followed up. Nothing about death with a capital D," Bobby said into the phone. "Coordinates?"

"Is that Dean?" Jo whispered. Bobby ignored her. "Bobby! Come on," she whined, throwing her head back, letting it softly hit the back of her chair.

Bobby waved his hand brushing her off. "Yeah, just watch your ass out there." He wheeled himself over behind the desk, pulling a folded up newspaper in front of him.

"Let me talk to Dean," Jo whined again. Bobby glared at her over his shoulder.

Bobby rolled his eyes. "Dean, Jo wants to talk to you."

Bobby handed her the phone. She sat up straight in the chair taking, it from him. "Hey," she said, standing and going out on the porch. "How are you?"

"I'm good, babe. How's things over there?" His voice was like a purr.

"Good, I guess. How's the hunt going?" She shuffled her feet on the dirty porch. Dust coated the toes of her shoes.

"Eh, it's going." Dean sighed. "We know where Pestilence is going to be. Now all we need is Death."

"That's good. When are you coming back?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. She cradled the phone on her shoulder.

"Soon, very soon. I'll be there before you know it," Dean promised.

"Good, I can't wait." Jo smiled.

There was a gun shot from inside the house.

"Shit, I gotta go." Jo could hear Dean yelling for her on the other end before she hung up. She reached for the door handle and pulled her hand away immediately when it burned her.

"Bobby!" She yelled. She heard nothing. The curtains in the kitchen and the living room pulled together at the same time. "Bobby!" She banged on the door, but nothing. Jo put her ear to the door. She could hear another man's voice but couldn't make it out.

Another shot went off.

"Bobby!" Jo screamed again. Again, nothing.

It was quiet for a moment and then door sprung open. Bobby sat in his chair facing the desk.

"Bobby?" Jo asked as she came around the front of him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Bobby's eyes were as wide as saucers. He patted the hand she placed on his shoulder and looked up at her. "Just fine."

"What was that all about?" She asked gesturing toward the door.

"What are you talking about?" Bobby shook his head and rolled into the kitchen.

"What am I talking about? The door was all hot and then the curtains shut. There were gun shots. I must have called your name a hundred times," Jo exaggerated.

Bobby didn't turn to look at her. "Nothing happened, Jo."

* * *

In the morning, Jo was woken up by the sound of Dean's voice rising from the kitchen.

"Did you know about his stupid plan?" Dean accused Bobby as she came down the stairs. She pulled the old hoody she wore close against her sides.

"What's going on?" Jo asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. It was only five a.m. and she could see the sun rising through the window.

"Oh nothing. Just that Sam has decided to say 'yes' to the devil." Dean let his arms drop to his side. "Did you know about this Bobby?" He asked again.

Bobby nodded, bowing his head.

"Well, thanks for the heads up!" Dean yelled.

"This ain't about me." Bobby held up his hands in surrender.

Dean turned back to his brother. "You can't do this."

"That's the consensus," Sam sighed, leaning against the counter.

"Alright awesome. End of discussion." Dean's phone started to ring as Jo padded her way across the kitchen for some coffee.

"Who would be calling at this hour?" She mumbled as she poured herself some coffee. She pulled the cup to her lips and smiled up at Sam who gave a small one back.

Dean looked at his phone and pointed back to his brother. "This isn't over." He opened his phone and put it to his ear. "Hello? Cas?"

Jo moved closer to Dean. "Is he okay? Where is he?" She asked nervously.

Dean held up his hand to her. He dropped it slowly, grazing his fingers against her arm. She raised it and caught her hand in his.

"Where are you? We all thought you were dead." He pulled her to his side. "Are you okay? You want to elaborate?"

He paused, listening to Cas. Jo could just barely hear what he was saying.

"So you're in a hospital?" He asked. He rolled his eyes at whatever Cas had responded with. "Well we found a way to pop Satan's box. You want to zap over here? Why not? So you're out of angel mojo?"

Dean pulled his arm back from around Jo. "Human?" He asked, breathlessly. He sat down on the edge of the kitchen table. "Wow. Okay. Sorry." He rubbed his face with his hand after a moment. "Well, Bobby's here. He can wire you the cash."

Jo sat down in one of the chairs and watched Dean. The only sound in the room besides Dean was the gurgling of the coffee maker.

"I will?" Bobby retorted from his chair.

"Cas, it's okay." Dean sighed. "Thank you, I appreciate that," he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. He looked down at the phone which had gone dead. He shoved the phone back in his pocket.

"Well, Cas is in a hospital. He has no Angel juice left and he needs to get on a plane here." Dean looked over his shoulder at Jo. He turned to sit in the chair across from her, taking one of her hands in his, playing with her fingers. "Jo, would you pick him up from the airport when he gets here?"

Jo nodded, hating the fact that he was leaving her here once again. But she agreed, knowing that Cas would need her and that it was useless to argue with Dean.

* * *

Dean followed Jo up to the room she had claimed and emptied his duffel bag on the bed.

"You want me to do your laundry too?" She asked sarcastically as she plopped on the edge of the bed.

Dean smirked at her. "Only if you want to." He pulled clean clothes out of one of the dresser drawers and stuffed them in the now empty duffel bag.

Jo watched him silently as he packed. "When are you leaving?" She asked quietly.

"As soon as I'm packed," he answered, shoving another shirt in the bag. He looked up at Jo. "It's about a three hour drive and I want to scope out the place a bit."

Jo nodded, knowing there was nothing she could say to make him stay longer. He was going to go whether she liked it or not.

He zipped up the bag and sat down next to her. "I miss you," he said putting his hand against her cheek.

She leaned into his hand, savoring what time they had left. "I miss you too."

"I'm going to be back before you know it," Dean promised.

"You're a horrible liar."

Dean chuckled and pulled her to his lips. "I know."

* * *

Jo watched from the front porch as the boys pulled away. She waved her hand as they passed and wouldn't go inside until the Impala disappeared over the hill.

"Come on." Bobby nodded toward the house and Jo nodded followed him. She watched Bobby wheel himself up the makeshift ramp and into the house.

"Bobby?" Jo called, squinting into the sun. Bobby looked over his shoulder at her. "What happened the other day?" She asked moving toward him.

"I told you Jo, nothing happened." Bobby lowered his head, looking down at his numb legs.

"I heard gun shots," Jo pried. She put her hands on the wheel chair's handles and pushed him the rest of the way.

"You must be hearing things." Bobby squared his shoulders as Jo pushed him into the house. "Nothing happened."

Jo turned to shut the door behind them. "Alright Bobby, you can keep saying that." She crouched down in front of him. "But I don't want you to think for a minute I actually believe that."

Bobby leaned toward her, his eyes set in a glare. "Believe whatever you want Jo, it don't change my story."

Jo nodded her head and stood. "I'm gonna go do some more research."

Bobby rolled himself over to his desk, not saying another word.

* * *

"Cas gets in at six." Jo laid on the bed, her legs crossed. One bounced up and down as she readjusted the phone against her ear.

"Okay good," Dean replied. "We've been watching the building for hours now and we haven't seen shit yet."

"Well it's still early. Maybe he doesn't show up until after dinner." Jo watched the curtains flow in the wind from the open window. Her thoughts locked on Bobby and the other day.

"Jo, you sound distracted, what's wrong?" Dean asked.

"Nothing, it's just-" Jo sighed. She didn't want to tell Dean. He would just worry about it and he had a full plate as it was. "No. You know, it's nothing." _I am a hunter too,_Jo reminded herself. _I can take care of this myself_. "So where are you anyway?" She asked changing the subject. She sat up, pulling a book from the stack on the nightstand and started flipping through it.

"Uh, we are at Serenity Valley Convalescent Home. Somewhere in Iowa," Dean answered. "Listen, Jo, we'll be fine," he said to reassure her.

"Yeah, okay, Dean." Jo's brows knitted together. Of course he would think that her distraction was just her worrying about him. Jo bowed her head, smiling. _What an idiot,_she thought to herself. "Just come home in one piece," She said, fueling his obliviousness. She refreshed the page she had up on her laptop. "Oh, Dean, I gotta go. Cas' plane is coming in early."

"Alright, I'll call you when we're on our way back."

"Okay, bye." Jo stuffed the phone in her pocket and propelled herself from the bed. Cas was going to land in a half hour and the airport was nearly forty five minutes away. She pulled her jacket on, wrenching the door open and grabbing her purse from the chair by the door. Jo bounded down the stairs, taking two at a time. "Gotta go, plane early!" Jo shouted before she was out the door.

* * *

The mustang fishtailed on the gravel as she sped out of the lot and onto the paved road. Miraculously she was only five minutes late as she jogged into the airport. Cas stood by the baggage claim watching the bags pass him slowly in a circle. His features were pulled down and his shoulders slouched. He looked absolutely defeated. She slowed her pace the closer she got to him.

"Cas?" She whispered, wrapping her hand gently around his elbow, "Did you have any bags?"

Castiel sighed, looking down at her. "No." He turned his gaze back to the merry-go-round of suitcases. "Where are Dean and Sam?"

Jo cocked her head, watching him. "They went to go get Pestilence's ring."

Castiel's head snapped to look at her. "Alone?!" he asked incredulously.

"They have each other," Jo offered, unsure of why he was so upset.

Castiel turned and grasped both of her arms in his hands. His grip was hard, shaking her slightly. "Where are they?"

Jo's eyes darted around at the attention they were gathering and found that a security guard was watching them from across the room. "Cas, calm down. Airports aren't really the place to make a scene."

Castiel stared at her, his grip lessening.

"Now, give me a hug so this doesn't look suspicious." Jo put her arms around his waist pulling him to her. She let the breath she was holding go when people started to look away. _That's right, nothing to see here,_ she thought. The security guard turned, continuing his shift.

She pulled back from Castiel. "Okay, let's go." When they had gotten out of the airport and into the parking lot, Jo finally told Castiel where the boys were.

"Take me to them," Castiel demanded.

"What?" Jo stopped walking and turned to look at him.

"Take me to them," He repeated.

"Cas, they will be fine." Jo couldn't leave Bobby. Something had happened to him. She had to find out what it was. _Sam and Dean could take care of themselves, _she tried to convince herself. She did not have the emotional capacity at the moment to worry about them _and_ Bobby. Besides, she would feel all too guilty if she left Bobby alone. He was already on the edge as it was.

"They will be powerless against Pestilence!" Castiel argued, trailing behind Jo like a child throwing a tantrum. "I am surprised you are this nonchalant about Dean's safety."

"They got the other rings just fine." Jo pulled her keys out from her pocket, ignoring his last comment.

"He will make them unable to fight," Castiel growled. "Take me to the bus station."

"Ugh," Jo moaned, glad to be getting rid of him. She knew if Dean got hurt now she would feel guilty. _Thanks Cas,_ she thought sarcastically. "Fine, but I bet by the time you get there they'll already be done."

* * *

"Where's Cas?" Bobby asked as Jo entered the house.

Jo sighed, dropping her purse on the chair by the door. "He started freaking out at the airport and insisted that he needed to go save Sam and Dean so I took him to the bus stop."

"Why didn't you go with him?" Bobby eyed her from behind his desk.

"You trying to get rid of me Singer?" Jo pulled her jacket off and threw over the back of the chair. She walked over to the desk, leaning her hands palms down on its surface. She squinted her eyes at him. "What happened the other day?"

"For fuck sake Jo, leave it alone!" Bobby burst, slamming a fist down on the desk.

Jo stood up crossing her arms over her chest, unaffected. "No," She promised before turning on her heel and heading back up to her room to do her own research.

Jo piled books upon books in categorized stacks on her floor. One was for anything hurt by salt and another for anything that could make a door knob hot. So far she had ruled out shape shifters, werewolves, and vampires. She knew it was a demon though, even before she opened the first book. It was in her bones. She was so sure it was a demon that Bobby had somehow made a deal with. At this point she was just looking for anything that would prove her wrong.

She pulled open one of the demon books to a section on crossroad demons. The name _Crowley _was scrolled across the top. _Crowley was the demon we got the Colt from,_Jo thought to herself. She scanned through the rest of the chapter.

There was nothing in the books that she didn't already know. She sighed, putting the book down. She needed Bobby to tell her what happened. Jo put her head in her hands. _I have to tell Dean,_ she groaned inwardly. _He's going to be so pissed._

The sun poured through the slats between two-by-fours, Bobby had used to board up the window, as arms wrapped around Jo's shoulders. The shifting of the bed pulled her awake. "Hey," Dean whispered in her ear, his hot breath fanned across her cheek. "Come on it's time to get up."

Jo pushed up against his chest, curling her body further into his. "Did you just get back?"

"Yeah." He placed a kiss on her temple and pulled away from her, heading for the door. "Let's go."

Jo flopped onto her back, letting her arms fall out to her sides. "Yeah, okay."

He took one last look at her lying on the bed wearing a white tank top and a pair of his boxers riding low on her hips. Dean bit his bottom lip, opened the door and left the room.

Jo stared up at the ceiling trying to psych herself into getting up. "Jo!" She heard Sam and Dean call for her in unison.

"I'm coming!" Jo shouted back. She rolled onto her stomach, pushed herself onto her knees, and stretched her arms straight in the air. She glanced over at the alarm clock on the nightstand. It read seven a.m. She groaned. _Will I ever get to sleep in?_ She rolled out of bed, switching the boxers for the jeans she had worn the day before and grabbed one of Dean's flannel shirts off the back of the door.

"Okay, I'm here," she said as she got halfway down the stairs. "How'd it go?" she asked as she flopped into the arm chair next to Dean.

Dean spun the ring on the desk.

"Well, it's nice to score a home run for once." Bobby sighed, staring at the ring.

Dean rested his head on his arm as he flopped the ring down on the table again.

"What?" Jo asked, taking the mug of coffee that Sam handed her as he sat down on the other side of Dean.

"Pestilence said it was too late," Sam sighed leaning his forearms on his knees.

"He get specific?" Bobby glanced from Dean back to Sam.

"No." Sam shook his head.

Dean sat up in his chair. "We're just a little freaked out he may have left a bomb somewhere." He looked over to Bobby. "So please tell us you have some good news."

Bobby looked over to Jo. She set her coffee down on the desk and crossed her legs Indian-style on the chair. "Chicago's about to be wiped off the map." She sighed meeting Dean's eyes. "Storm of the millennium."

Dean hung his head.

"It's going to set off a daisy chain of natural disasters," Bobby continued for her. "Three million people are gonna die."

"I don't understand your definition of good news," Castiel interrupted from the back corner. He leaned against an old wine cabinet, resting his head on a fist.

"Death will be there Cas." Jo picked up her mug for another sip.

"And if we stop him before he kick starts the storm, get his ring," Bobby offered.

"Yeah, you make it sound so easy." Dean groaned. Jo lightly punched his shoulder, shaking her head at him.

"I'm just trying to put a spin on it," Bobby growled.

"Bobby, how'd you get all this together?" Sam asked, once again ignoring his older brother.

Bobby shrugged. "I had help."

Sam and Dean looked over to Jo. "Not me. He had all this by the time I got back from the airport."

There was a clank of glass hitting wood coming from the kitchen. "Don't be so modest." The voice Jo had heard from the day the Bobby wouldn't talk about floated clearly into the living room. Jo knew instantly. Her intuition had been spot on. He _had_ made a deal. "I barely helped at all."

Dean's glanced slid from the man in the kitchen back to Bobby, the pieces clicking into place for him as well.

The man took the glass he had filled with Bobby's whiskey and leaned in the doorway. "Hello boys, and girl, pleasure, etc." He sniffed at the whiskey. He turned his nose up at it and set the glass on the book self against the wall. "Go on, tell them. There's no shame in it."

"Bobby?" Sam turned in his chair to look at him. "Tell us what?" His words were clipped and harsh. He knew full well.

Bobby glared at the demon in the doorway. "The world's gonna end." He shrugged. "Seems stupid to get precious over one little soul."

"You sold your fucking soul!" Dean yelled at him. "I can't fucking believe you! And to Crowley?!"

"More like he pawned it. I fully intend to give it back." Crowley picked at the dirt underneath his fingernails.

Dean turned in his chair. "Then give it back!"

"I will."

"Now!"

"Did you kiss him?" Sam asked Bobby quietly.

"Sam," Dean chastised.

"Just wondering," Sam argued. Jo cocked her head at Bobby as Sam and Dean looked at him expectantly.

Bobby looked around at all of them. "No!" he yelled incredulously. Crowley cleared his throat from the doorway, holding up his phone with decisive proof that Bobby did indeed kiss him. And from what Jo could see, it wasn't just a peck.

"Oh Bobby," she cried, covering her eyes. "I'm never going to be able to un-see that."

"Why'd you take a picture?" Bobby growled at Crowley.

"Why'd you have to use tongue?" He countered. Jo covered her mouth in shock, unable to keep it closed. Sam and Dean's eyes widened as they turned their heads simultaneously back to Bobby.

Dean pushed away from his chair. "Alright, I'm sick of this," he said, marching over to Crowley. "You give him his soul back now."

"I can't," Crowley argued.

"Can't or won't?" Dean stepped closer.

"Won't, alright." Crowley backed up the step that Dean had taken. "It's insurance alright."

"What are you talking about?"

"You kill demons," Crowley reminded him. "But you won't kill me. As long as I have that soul in the deposit box."

"You son of a bitch," Jo said, whistling into her coffee.

"I will return it, after all this is over." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Do we all understand each other?!" His volume increasing with every word.

Dean glared at the man, his whole body vibrating with anger. He rubbed his face roughly with his hands. "I need to get some air." Dean pushed past Crowley on his way out the back door, slamming it behind him.

"Well that was a tad bit dramatic." Crowley sat in the chair that Dean had been using, crossing his legs, his hands folded in his lap. He raked his gaze up and down Jo's small frame. "Well aren't you a tasty little bird."

"Ew." Jo's lip curled in disgust, suddenly feeling extremely under dressed. "I'm going to go talk to him." Jo got up from her chair and followed the path Dean had taken. She could see him in the open garage pulling things out of the trunk of the Impala and replacing them with other boxes and bags. "Hey," she said walking around him, pulling herself up to sit on the tool bench.

"Hey," he responded over his shoulder, not slowing his task to acknowledge her presence.

Jo folded her hands in her lap. "Do you remember the other day when we were on the phone and I hung up on you really fast?" she asked, not looking up from her hands.

Dean's motions stopped as he turned to look at her. "Yes." His tone was edging on violent.

"I heard a gunshot and the door knob was hot." Jo cocked her head in the direction of the house, "That's when it happened, I'm sure of it."

"Why didn't you tell me that?" he groaned.

Jo threw her hands up. "I don't know. I didn't think Bobby would do something like this. I wanted to figure it out myself."

"So you didn't know?!" Dean asked, his voice rising. "Come on Jo, you know better than that!"

"Jesus Dean!" Jo pushed herself off the tool bench. "I'm not fucking psychic. I didn't know he would trade his soul for fucking information." Jo pushed at his chest, her anger getting the best of her. "It's not like I brushed it off. I spent days researching. And there was no sulfur. Give me some fucking credit."

Dean glared. "Fine," he hissed.

Jo glared back as she pushed herself up on to the tool bench again. "Fuck you," She scoffed halfheartedly.

Dean chuckled to himself, shaking his head as he continued repacking his car.

Neither one of them said a word. Jo watched his facial expressions as he rearranged the trunk, the way his hands moved, everything. She wanted to commit everything about him to memory. She was well aware that one of these days he may not come back. It was just the life they chose to live.

They both looked up when they heard the back door swing shut. Sam came stalking his way over to them. He sighed as he leaned against the Impala.

Dean wiped his hands on his jeans. "I'm guessing we're going to have a talk."

"Should I go?" Jo asked, jumping down from the bench.

"No." Sam waved her over. "You should hear this too." He turned to face Dean again. "Listen, for the record, I agree with you. About me. You think I'm too weak to take on Lucifer. Well so do I. Believe me I know exactly how screwed up I am. Bobby, Cas, I'm the least of any of you."

"Sam." Jo said trying to reassure him. Dean sighed, leaning against the car.

"No, it's true," Sam argued. "I'm also all we've got. If there was another way…" He trailed off. "But I don't think there is. There's just me." Sam bowed his head. "I don't know what else to do, other than try what needs to be done."

"And scene," Crowley's voice came from inside the garage. He walked around the car and handed Sam a folded up newspaper. "Something you need to see."

Sam unfolded the newspaper and started reading where Crowley had pointed. "Niveus Pharmaceuticals rushing delivery of its new swine flu vaccine, to quote 'stem the tide of an unprecedented outbreak'... uh… shipments leave Wednesday."

"Niveus Pharmaceuticals? Get it?" Crowley urged.

They all looked at him, shaking their heads.

Crowley sighed. "You three are lucky you have your looks." He turned back to Sam. "Your demon lover, Brady. VP of distribution at Niveus?" The look of realization was visible. "Ah, is that the sound of the abacus clacking?" He nodded looking around at them. "All caught up?"

"So Pestilence was spreading swine flu," Jo thought out loud.

"Yeah, but not just for shits and giggles. That was just step one. Step two is the vaccine," Dean answered, turning back to Crowley. "And you think?"

"I know," Crowley confirmed. "I'd stake my reputation on it. That vaccine is chalk-full of grade A Croatoan virus."

"Simultaneous country wide distribution." Sam nodded, all the pieces falling into place. "That's quite a plan."

"You don't get to become horseman for nothing." Crowley rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. "Well, you better stock up on... well, everything. This time next Thursday we'll all be living in zombie land."

* * *

"Alright." Dean spread the map flat across the desk. "Cas and Bobby will go try and stop the distribution, and me and you," He pointed at Sam, "will go up to the Windy City to get us a ring."

"You're going to have Bobby, in a wheel chair, and Cas, with no angel powers, by themselves?" Jo questioned.

"Yeah?" Dean said slowly, rethinking his decision.

Jo turned to Castiel. "Cas, have you ever shot a gun?"

"Well, I know how," Castiel defended himself.

Dean closed his eyes bowing his head. "Alright, Sam you go with them."

"And what am I going to be doing?" Jo crossed her arms over his chest.

"You'll be holding down the fort." Dean leaned over the desk.

Jo heard Sam make a low whistle from behind her. "No, I'll be going with you."

"Jo, no. It's too-" Dean pointed a finger at her.

"If you say dangerous, I will break that finger." Jo stood from her chair. "I'm going to go pack a bag. I'm going with you Dean, get over it." She turned on her heel and took the stairs two at a time.

"She's right, Dean," she heard Sam agree before she closed her bedroom door.

* * *

Jo swung her back pack on her shoulder as Dean shut the trunk of the Impala.

"Alright," he said turning to Sam. "Good luck with the whole zombie apocalypse."

"Yeah," Sam sighed. "Good luck killing Death."

Dean mirrored his brother. "Yeah."

Sam took his time looking at all the faces around him before he turned back to Dean. "Remember when we used to just hunt? How simple that was?"

Dean shook his head. "No. Not really."

Sam let out a sardonic chuckle. "Well." He pulled the demon knife from the back of his jeans. "You might need this."

"Keep it." Crowley appeared in between Jo and Dean. "Dean's covered." He held up a rusted old scythe. "Death's own. Kills, well, golly, demons, angels, reapers and rumor has it the very thing itself."

Dean turned it over in his hand.

"How did you get that?" Castiel asked, staring intently at the scythe.

"Hello?" Crowley shoved his hands in his pockets. "King of the Crossroads. So shall we?"

"You're coming too?" Jo whined.

"Sorry to disappoint, love. I'm invested." Crowley looked down over to Bobby. "What? You just going to sit there?"

Bobby's brows furrowed. "No, I'm going to river dance."

"I suppose if you want to impress the ladies." He winked at Jo. "Bobby, Bobby, Bobby," He sighed. "Really wasted that crossroads deal. Fact, you get more if you phrase it properly. So, I took the liberty of adding a teeny tiny sub-A clause on your behalf. What can I say?" He shrugged. "I'm an altruist. So, you just gonna sit there?"

Bobby looked down at his legs, ever so slightly shuffling his foot. He looked up in disbelief. He lifted one foot and put it on the ground then the other. Bobby slowly raised himself up with his arms until he was sure that his legs were strong enough to hold him and then pushed the chair away, standing completely on his own.

Jo's mouth was in a permanent 'O' shape.

"Careful, darling," Crowley said putting a finger under her chin, shutting her mouth. "That's how you attract flies."

"Son of a bitch," Bobby breathed as he bounced a bit on his knees, taking tender steps.

"I know," Crowley shrugged. "I'm a hell of a guy."

"Thanks," Bobby whispered.

"This is getting morbid." Crowley rolled his eyes. "Can we go?" He pointed to the car, turning on his heel and leaving without an answer.

Everyone else just stared at Bobby.

"Well, quit your gawking. We got stuff to do." He waved them off and headed for the driver seat of the van.

Castiel nodded at all of them. He climbed into the van and shut the door behind him, leaving Sam, Dean and Jo standing in a circle.

"Alright, well, I'll see you on the other side, I guess," Sam said running a hand through his hair.

Jo wrapped an arm around his waist. "See you later Sam."

He gave her a quick squeeze before she let go and headed to the car where Crowley was waiting. She wrenched open the passenger side door and claimed her seat.

Crowley peered his head in through the open window. "We aren't going to need this, love." He tapped his fingers on the roof, pointing to himself with his free hand. "Supernatural being."

Jo shoved the door open on him. "Right." She slammed the door and leaned against it.

"Okay," Dean clapped his hands as he got closer to them. "We ready?"

"I've grown old waiting," Crowley sighed.

"Let's just get this over with." Jo shrugged. They all put their hands in the middle, and in moments they could hear the sound of the EL-train banging against its tracks above their heads.

Jo opened her eyes to see the gray sky peak in between the buildings. Crowley took a deep breath. "I never get to come here as often as I'd wish." Dean and Jo fell into step with Crowley as they made their way to the street. "Hey, let's stop for pizza."

"Are you kidding?" Dean asked, unsure if he had heard him right.

"What? Heard it was good, is all." Crowley shrugged.

They were rounding the opening of a chain link fence when Crowley put his arm out for them to stop. "Up ahead. Big ugly building. Ground zero, horseman's stable, if you will. He's in there."

"How do you know?" Jo asked, eying the building.

Crowley scoffed, elbowing Dean. "How do I know? Darling, have you met me? Cause I know." He scanned over the road. "Plus the block is swarming with reapers. I'll be right back." He took two steps forward and disappeared.

Dean and Jo looked at each other. "I don't like this," Jo murmured to him.

"Boy, is my face red." Crowley reappeared behind them. "Death's not in there."

"You want to cut the cute and tell me where he is?" Dean asked, turning around to face him.

"Sorry, I don't know." Crowley turned and started walking away from them.

"Whoa, whoa." Dean grabbed his elbow and turned him around. "You don't know?!"

"Signs pointed." Crowley shrugged. "I'm just as shocked as you." He shoved his shoulder as he walked past Dean.

"Bobby sold his soul for this!" Jo shouted, coming to stand next to Dean.

"All deals are sold back for store credit. We'll catch Death in the next doomed city."

"Millions, Crowley." Dean held up his hands. "Millions of people are about to die any minute."

"True, so I suggest we get out of here." Crowley turned and started walking. "Well come the fuck on!" He shouted behind him when they didn't move.

They followed him down an alley staying back at least ten feet. "What are we going to do now?" Jo whispered.

"I don't know," Dean whispered back.

Crowley turned right at the end of the alley, effectively disappearing.

"Fucking great," Dean hissed when Crowley was nowhere to be seen.

"Look," Jo pointed across the street. There was the Impala with one very annoying passenger sitting in the back seat.

They jogged across the street and got into the car. "So what?" Dean let his hands fall in his lap. "Call in a bomb threat? Call in a thousand bomb threats? How the hell am I supposed to get three million people out of Chicago?" Crowley rolled his eyes and disappeared again. "Oh come on!" Dean banged a fist against the steering wheel.

"No, look." Jo pointed at a pizza restaurant across the street.

Crowley stood outside the doors, peering in. He turned back to look at them, mouthing something.

"What's he saying?" Dean asked, trying to weave his head around the people walking past Crowley.

"I don't know. There are too many people." Jo sat on her knees, trying to get a better view.

"I said," Crowley reappeared in the back seat. "I found him. Death is in there."

"Alright." Dean nodded, looking over to Jo. "Let's go."

* * *

Dean jimmied the back door open and held it for Jo to enter first. He held a finger up to his lips. "Stay at the swinging door." He held up a finger to her. "Only come in if it is _absolutely_ necessary. Okay?" he whispered.

Jo nodded.

Dean pushed the door open and slowly made his way into the dining section. Jo caught the door as it swung closed and gently guided it to a stopped position. She peered through the small window in the door, watching Dean stalk his way toward Death.

Jo held her breath when she saw the scythe fall to the ground. The sound echoed in the empty restaurant.

"Thank you for returning that," Death said from his seat. Dean froze where he stood. "Join me Dean. The pizza's delicious."

Dean's whole body was tense as he padded his way to the table.

"Sit down. Took you long enough to find me. I've been wanting to talk to you," Death said as Dean sat across from him.

"I gotta say, I've got mixed feelings about that," Dean retorted. "So is this the part where you kill me?"

Death looked up from his plate. "You have an inflated sense of importance. To a thing like me, well, a thing like you…" He paused taking a sip of his soda. "Think how you would feel if a bacteria sat at your table and started to get snarky. This is one tiny planet in one galaxy that is barely out of its diapers. I am old Dean, very old. So I invite you to contemplate your insignificance to me." Death reached over and placed a slice of pizza on the plate in front of Dean. "Eat."

Dean stared at the slice and then back up at Death, contemplating whether or not to do as he said. Slowly he picked up the knife and fork, cutting off a piece and tentatively put it in his mouth.

"Good, isn't it?" Death asked. Dean nodded and Death took another bite.

"I gotta ask," Dean said around the piece in his mouth. "How old are you?"

"As old as God," Death answered cutting up his pizza. "Maybe older." Death shrugged. "Neither one of us can remember any more. Life, death, chicken, egg, regardless, in the end, I'll reap him too."

Jo wiped at the window. Her breath was fogging up the glass.

"God?" Dean leaned in on the table. "You'll reap God?"

"Oh yes," Death replied. "God will die too, Dean."

Dean stared, mouth open, at Death. "This is way above my pay grade." Dean whistled.

Death looked up from his food. "Just a bit." He agreed.

"So why am I still breathing? Sitting here with you. What do you want?" Dean asked, leaning back in his chair.

"The leash around my neck off. Lucifer has me bound to him. Some unseemly little spell. He has me when he wants, where he wants. That's why I couldn't come to _you_. I had to wait for you to catch up. He made me his weapon. Hurricanes, floods, raising the dead. I'm more powerful then you can conceive and I am enslaved to a bratty child having a tantrum."

Dean's brows furrowed. "And you think I can unbind you?"

Death leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs. "There you go with that ridiculous bravado. No, of course you can't. But you can help me take the bullets out of Lucifer's gun." He leaned forward again and put the backside of his hand up to Dean. "I believe you want this."

Dean eyed the ring. "Yeah."

"I'm inclined to give it to you," Death continued.

"Give it to me?" Dean questioned.

"That's what I said."

"But what about Chicago?"

"I suppose it could stay," Death shrugged. "I like the pizza." He slid the ring of his finger and held it out to Dean. "There are conditions."

"Okay, like?" Dean couldn't take his eyes off that ring.

"You have to do whatever it takes to put Lucifer in his cell."

"Of course." Dean nodded.

"Whatever it takes," Death reiterated.

"That's the plan."

"No, no plan, not yet. Your brother. He's the one that can stop Lucifer. The only one."

"So you think-"

"I know," Death cut him off and shrugged. "So I need a promise. You're going to let your brother jump into that fiery pit." Death extended the ring out to him. "Well, do I have your word?"

Jo couldn't take her eyes off the exchange, holding her breath as they spoke.

"Yeah, okay. Yes." Dean held his hand under Death's.

"That better be a 'yes', Dean. You know you can't cheat death." Death dropped the ring in Dean's hand and folded both of his under his chin. "Now, would you like the instruction manual?" Death continued on to tell Dean how to work the rings and Jo moved back from the door, leaning on the counter behind her. She covered her mouth with her hand, her breath coming in short pants. _Holy shit!_ was the only coherent thought she was able to form.

A short while later Dean pushed the door of the kitchen open, still staring at the ring in his hand. He looked up at Jo who looked up at him, her eyes as wide as saucers. "Come on. Let's go home." He shoved the ring in his pocket and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

* * *

Jo stared out the window of the Impala, watching Lake Michigan pass by her as they drove down Lake Shore Drive. "Dean? What's Death going to do when he finds out you lied?" She asked, not daring to take her eyes off the water.

"I don't know." Dean took one of her hands in his. "Let's not think about it right now." He pulled her hand to his lips and left a kiss on her knuckles.

"You're not going to let him do it, right?" Jo asked.

"Of course not." Dean let her hand go and put it back on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white.

Jo watched his jaw tighten, sighed and turned her attention back at the Lake. The waves crashed angrily against the breakers, the storm outside adding to their violence. "I think you should let him," She whispered.

Dean swerved in the lane. "What?"

Jo turned to look at the road in front of them. "Sam's right. Death's right. We don't have another choice." She rung her hands together in her lap. "How else are we going to get Lucifer to the cage?"

Dean adjusted his grip on the wheel.

"Think about it, Dean, really think about it." Jo watched as the lake disappeared as they followed the highway. "You can't really tell him no either. You're not his father."

Dean sighed relaxing his grip on the steering wheel again. "I can't let him do it." He sighed. "I just can't."

"Death himself said that this was the only way," Jo argued.

"Jo, I don't want to talk about this."

"Dean, you can't just ignore it." Jo pushed.

"There has to be another way!" Dean yelled.

"There isn't another way!" Jo countered. "Death, Dean. Do you not understand the magnitude of what he just told you?" Dean readjusted his grip again, the muscles in his jaw pulsated. "He is an ally. He wants Lucifer in the cage just as much as we do."

"But he doesn't give a shit about what happens to Sam." Dean would not concede.

Jo sighed looking back out the window. "I know you don't want to hear this, and I know he's your brother. And if the situation was reversed, I would be looking for any other way. But," She looked over at him. "It's one life. Only one life to save the world. The scale is tipped."

Dean glared at the road in front of them.

* * *

**OMG thank you all so much for being patient with me. I made this one extra long for you ; ) **

**I want to thank my AMAZING beta Lucawindmover. You are absolutely beautiful and I can never thank you enough. **

**Please, please review, I'm a whore for positive re-enforcement. Let me know what you think! **


	7. Chapter 6: Swan Song

Jo shoved the trough she had made under the hanging demons.

"Very inventive, Jo," Castiel complimented.

"Yeah," Jo looked at the metal trough, funnels connected at the bottom, sitting on empty milk jugs, "I guess."

"Alright, let's get this over with." Dean pushed off of the wall he had been leaning on and pulled a knife from his side. "You wanna go outside Jo?"

Jo looked at the demons hanging from meat hooks, swaying ever so slightly. "Yeah." She whispered.

* * *

Jo went straight for the Impala and climbed in the back seat. She couldn't even put in to words how she was feeling at the moment. She knew today would be one of those days that she would never forget. Every detail had already been seared into her brain. She leaned her head against the back of the seat, resting her arm on the door. Absentmindedly she played with the flap on the small ashtray on the door. She froze when she heard the cheap plastic snap.

"Shit," Jo hissed as she held the evidence in her hand. "Oh no."

She looked around the car for some place to hide it. Settling for the pouch behind the driver seat, she stuffed it all the way to the bottom.

Readjusting in her seat she noticed something in the ashtray. It was a small army figurine. She picked it up and held it in her hands examining it. "Hm." She wondered how long it must have been in there. She knew Sam and Dean's childhood was spent in this car. _I__t must have been in here this whole time_, she thought. Jo imagined the two little boys playing in the back as their father drove, toys sprawled out over the back seat.

She noticed the men exit the warehouse, full milk jugs in their hands, and she shoved the toy back in the ashtray. Dean chatted with Bobby at the van, the whole scene making her uneasy. _The whole day was just uncomfortable,_ she corrected herself. Castiel and Sam loaded up the trunk and made their way to their seats.

Castiel slid in the back next to her, and Sam, of course, in the front.

"Everything good?" Jo asked, watching Dean wave goodbye to Bobby and turning toward the Impala.

"Yeah," Sam pulled on his seat belt, "Great."

"Awesome," Jo whispered, leaning her head against the window.

* * *

Jo slept for only minutes at a time, keeping her eyes closed when she woke, trying to forcing herself back to sleep.

"Look at these little angels," Jo heard Dean say from the front seat.

"Angels don't sleep." Sam retorted.

Jo could practically see Dean rolling his eyes.

"One of them does," He sighed, looking at his brother, then back at the road. "Sam, I got a bad feeling about this," Dean sounded exhausted.

"You'd be nuts to have a good feeling about it." Sam almost laughed.

Jo let her eyes blink open just enough to see them.

"You know what I mean." Dean whined, "Detroit. He always said he'd jump your bones in Detroit and here we are."

"Here we are," Sam repeated.

"Maybe this is him rolling out the red carpet. Maybe he knows something we don't." Dean continued.

Sam let out a laugh, "I'm sure he knows a shit ton more than we do. But you gotta hope he doesn't know about the rings." Sam bowed his head taking a couple deep breaths, "Hey, on the subject, there's something I got to talk to you about."

"Alright."

"Say this goes our way and I triple indy into that box, you know I'm not coming back."

"Yeah, I'm aware," Dean readjusted his grip on the steering wheel.

"You gotta promise me something."

"Yeah, anything."

"You gotta promise not to bring me back."

Jo was watching them in earnest now. She couldn't tear her eyes away from Sam. He must of felt her gaze, he turned his head and their eyes met, silently asking her to promise as well. Jo nodded making her vow. The exchange was so quick Dean hadn't even noticed, his eyes still on the road.

"No," Dean finally said, "I didn't sign up for that. Your hell is going to make my tour look like Graceland. You want me to sit around and do nothing?"

"Once the cage is shut you can't go poking at it, it's too risky." Sam reasoned.

"No, no, no, no, as if I'm going to just let you rot in there."

"You don't have a choice, Dean."

"You can't ask me to do this." Dean argued.

"I'm sorry, you have to."

"So then what am I supposed to do." Dean turned to him and then back to the road.

Sam glanced back at Jo and then to Dean, knowing full well she was listening. "You and Jo get a place together, you get normal jobs, make normal friends. Get married and have kids. Grow old, Dean." Sam's voice stating to raise. Castiel's snores silenced, Jo knew he must be awake now too. "You go and live some apple pie life. Promise me."

Dean glance in his review mirror. Jo met his gaze, but couldn't read the expression there. Jo knew then that she would follow him anywhere. Even if hunting wasn't an option anymore. If she had to give up everything she knew, she would.

Dean didn't answer his brother.

* * *

Detroit was just as cold as Chicago. The tips of Jo's fingers were numb as she shoved them further in her pockets.

"Demons, at least two dozen," Bobby said walking back down the alley toward them. "You were right, something's up."

"More than something." Dean sighed, "He's here." He turned to walk around the back of the Impala and opened the trunk.

Bobby looked up at Sam, his features pulled down to a frown. He walked up to him, staring at his face, surely trying to memorize every detail. "Well, see you around kid."

"See you around." Sam nodded.

Bobby pulled him down for a hug, "When he gets in, you fight him tooth and nail, you understand? Don't give an inch."

Sam nodded, "Yes, sir." Bobby turned away from him, wiping angrily at the tears that had escaped. Sam turned to Castiel, who mirrored Bobby's expression, extending out his hand to him, "Take care of these guys, okay?"

Castiel sighed letting his head fall to the side, "That's not possible."

Sam laughed softly, "Then humor me."

"Oh, I'm supposed to lie." Cas started over, "Sure," He forced a smile, "They'll be fine."

"Just, just stop talking." Sam put his hand up to stop him.

He turned to look at Jo, who had opened one of the car doors and sat on the seat. She shuffled her feet around on the wet pavement. "I'm not going to say goodbye." She told him.

Sam chuckled as he knelt down in front of her. "I don't want you to." He glanced over at Dean, and then leaned in closer to Jo. "Take care of him for me." Jo nodded, letting a tear slide down her cheek. "You guys were meant for each other, you know that?" Jo smiled meekly at him, before he went to go stand next to his brother.

He stared at the jugs sitting the in trunk. "You mind not watching this?"

Dean walked away from Sam and over to where Jo was sitting. He held his hand out to her, "Come with me."

Jo put her hand in his and followed him down the alley.

Once they were a few yards away he stopped. "Could you do me a favor?"

"Sure." Jo blew on her hands to keep them warm.

"Don't take any risks, don't get hurt, don't die. Please don't die," Dean begged.

Jo put her hand to his cheek and smiled. He knew it wasn't possible without her even having to say it.

He sighed leaning into her touch, "Can you just lie to me?"

Jo ran her fingers through the soft hair at the nape of his neck. "Everything's going to be fine. Everyone will be okay. This will all be over soon." She tried to sooth him. She would give anything for those words to be true.

Dean wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her closer to him, "Will you at least stay in the car?"

"Dean."

"Lie to me." He pleaded.

She nodded. "I'll go catch a cab right now," She whispered. "I'll go to the Greyhound station and go home. I'll lock the door behind me and I'll even go down to the panic room. I'll lock myself inside and throw away the key."

"I know you would absolutely hate that, but right now, that sounds pretty good to me."

Jo chuckled lightly pulling Dean to her lips. "Sorry baby." Jo rubbed her thumb against the stubble on his cheek.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his head in the crook of her neck.

Jo rubbed circles on his back, "It's all going to be okay." She whispered hoping that she would convince herself as well.

* * *

They stood in a line watching the news through a department store window. Flash floods ripped through towns, tornado tearing up cities, and between every glimpse of carnage around the world, Jo's mind kept flashing back to her mother laying on that hardware store floor, where it all started. Sam kneeling down in front of her, saying goodbye, the blinding white light that filled the third floor windows letting them know it was almost over. Dean's slumped form stumbling out of that same apartment building. Tear tracks still wet on his cheeks.

Dean's fingers entwining with hers brought her out of her thoughts.

"It's starting," Castiel said turning away from the TV's.

"No shit, asshole." Dean hissed.

"You don't have to be mean." Castiel mumbled.

"What do we do now?" Jo interrupted them looking from Dean to Castiel.

"I suggest we imbibe copious quantities of alcohol and wait for the inevitable blast wave." Castiel sighed shaking his head.

"Swell, thank you Bukowski. How do we stop it?" Dean pushed.

Castiel turned to look at Dean, his brows knitted together in confusion. "We don't. Lucifer will met Michael on the chosen field. And the battle of Armageddon begins."

"Alright, where's this field?" Jo asked taking a step between the boys.

Castiel sighed looking down at his shoes, "I don't know."

"There's got to be something we can do!" Jo pleaded with him.

"I'm sorry," Castiel kept his head bowed. "It's over."

"You listen to me, you fucking coward," Dean growled. "We are not giving up! Bobby?" Dean looked over his shoulder for reassurance.

"Bobby?" Jo tried.

Bobby stared at the sidewalk in front of him. "There was never much hope to begin with." He shook his head looking up at Dean. His eyes lined with fresh tears. "I don't know what else to do."

Dean looked from Jo to Castiel and back to Bobby, "We can't just give up." He begged. He ran his hands through his hair. Jo could see the wheels turning in his head as the world around them came crashing down. "I have an idea. Come on." He pulled Jo by the hand back to the Impala with him, pulling out his phone as he sat down in the driver seat.

"What are you doing?" Jo asked as she took her own seat on the passenger side.

"I'm going to ask someone who already knows what happens." Dean scrolled through his contacts, clicking one and putting it on speaker.

* * *

It only rang once before a man answered. "Mistress Magda?"

"Uh no." Dean looked at Jo quizzically. "Chuck?"

"Oh, wow, Dean." Chuck stuttered. "I didn't know that you would call."

"Who's Mistress Magda?" Dean teased.

"Nothing, no one, she's just a, uh, she's just a close friend."

"Yeah, I bet, _real_ close friend." Dean rolled his eyes. "What happened to Becky?"

"It didn't work out. I had too much respect for her." Chuck cleared his throat.

"Well, you got a real virgin/hooker thing going on don't you?" Dean smiled as Jo stifled a laugh.

"Okay, this can't be why you called."

Dean sighed into the phone, getting back on subject. "Sam said yes."

"I know. I saw it. I'm just working on the pages."

"Did you see where the title fight goes down?"

Chuck breathed into the phone. "The angels are keeping it real top secret, very hush-hush."

"Fuck," Dean blew out the breath he was holding.

"But I saw it anyway. Perks of being a prophet. It's tomorrow, high noon, at a place called Stull Cemetery."

Dean's brows knitted together, "Stull... Wait, I know that place. That's and old bone yard outside of Lawrence. Why Lawrence?"

"I don't know." Chuck whispered. "It all has to end where it started I guess."

"Alright, Chuck." Dean readjusted himself in his seat. "Is there anyway to short circuit this thing?"

"Besides the rings? No. I'm sorry."

"Well do you have any idea what's going to happen next?" Dean's patience was starting to wear thin.

"I wish I did." Chuck sighed, "But, I honestly don't know yet."

"Alright, thanks Chuck." Dean closed his eyes as he hung up the phone.

"Okay, so we go to Lawrence," Jo decided.

"And do what?" Dean sighed.

Jo's brows knitted together as she cocked her head to the side. "Are you giving up?" She asked in disbelief.

Dean bowed his head.

"You're going to give up on Sam after having Lucifer inside him for two hours?!" Jo was outraged. "You drag all of us out here with some stupid fucking plan, that was a long shot to begin with, and you're just going to give up? Who are you?"

Dean sighed letting his head fall to the side, meeting her glare, "What are you talking about?"

"You're not Dean, at least not _my Dean._" Jo put her hand to her chest to emphasize her point. "_My Dean_ would be halfway to Lawrence by now."

"Jo," Dean whispered, "If I go to Lawrence, I'm probably not coming back."

"I'm well aware of that, Dean," She said reaching up to put her hand on his cheek. "But I love you very much, and I would never forgive myself if I didn't tell you to go."

Dean cupped her hand against his face, turning his head to kiss her palm.

It was the absolute last thing that Jo wanted. She could feel her heart physically breaking and she knew this was going to be there goodbye. Jo would not be going to Lawrence. Tears spilled over the rims of her eyes and raced down her cheeks. "I'll go catch a cab. Go to the Greyhound station. I'll go home, and lock myself in the panic room."

Dean's eyes snapped to hers, searching for her reason. "Jo. You don't have to do that."

"Is it what you want?" She whispered, her throat too thick for any more volume then that.

Dean pulled at her waist so that she would be right next to her. He placed his hands on either side of her face. "I can't ask you to do that." Dean leaned his forehead against hers. "I know that's not what you want."

Jo mirrored his position, "I want my mom back. I want Ash back, fuck, I want my father back. But most of all I want Lucifer back in that cage. And if we have a snowballs chance we have to take it right?" Jo relaxed her hands on his wrists. "You're the only shot we have now."

Dean searched her face, his emerald eyes darting back and forth. Jo thought that this would have been the easy part. That she could do this for him and he'd be happy. Or at least accepting. "Stay with me. Just a bit longer." Dean begged, "I'll drop you off in Iowa." He wiped her tears from her face. "And then I'll say goodbye."

A new wave of tears fell down her cheeks as she closed her eyes, nodding.

* * *

"You going someplace?" Bobby asked as he and Castiel came down the alley. "You're gonna do something stupid. You got that look."

Jo nodded at Dean while Bobby spoke, silently telling him that it was okay.

"I'm gonna go talk to Sam." Dean stated as he turned to Bobby.

"You just don't give up, do you?" Bobby took his hat off and ran his fingers threw his hair.

"It's Sam!" Dean argued.

"If you couldn't reach him here, you certainly won't be able to on the battlefield." Castiel interrupted.

Jo covered her mouth with her hand, silencing the sob that wanted to rip through her chest. _W__hat the fuck am I doing? I'm letting him walk right into his own death. No, no! _She tried to calm herself. _He has to do this. I can't ask him not to try and save his brother._

"If we've already lost, then I guess I've got nothing to lose right?" Dean responded to Castiel.

"And what about Jo?" Bobby took a step toward Dean. "You gonna let her put you on a pyre?"

Dean bowed his head, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I just want you to understand that the only thing you're going to see out there is Michael killing your brother." Castiel pleaded.

"Well, I can't let him die alone then." Dean opened the driver side door and got in. Jo scooted over so that she was right next to him. Dean wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her to his side as he started the car.

* * *

Jo got to Bobby's house around six in the morning. She just stood in the living room, hands in her pockets, just looking at everything. She left the front door wide open.

When Dean had stopped for gas, she left a note on his seat, _Ju__st go. J.,_ and stole a car from the strip mall next door. It was becoming increasingly clearer as the minutes passed that he was not going to let her go and it was imperative that he do this alone. She just couldn't shake that feeling. As much as her heart broke something inside her was telling her that this was the right thing to do. He _had _to do this _alone._

She didn't go and sit in the panic room. Instead she opened the curtains, and plopped herself in the oversized armchair. Jo watched the sun rise until it had surpassed the top of the window and she knew it was too late.

* * *

She must have fallen asleep sometime during the day. The sound of the Impala coming down the gravel drive snapped her eyes open. The house was dark, and it took a moment for her limbs to unwind themselves from the position she had put them in. Once she was able to stand, she ripped through the front door and propelled herself down the steps.

Dean parked the car and stepped out to meet Jo. The closer she got the more unstable his footing. His face was scrunched up, trying to hold back the emotion.

When she was standing just a foot away from him, he finally collapsed. His knees slammed into the gravel, his arms wrapping around her legs, as the sob he was holding finally tore its way through his chest. His cry echoed in the autumn air.

Jo felt her heart explode for him, the little shards lodging in her chest and throat. She knelt down with him and held him as he cried.

* * *

For the next few days, Bobby and Dean barely spoke, communicating mainly in glances and through Jo. Then again, Dean barely spoke at all. He worked on the Impala for two days. Almost obsessively. Jo had to bring him food and tell him when to go to bed, if she didn't he probably would have stayed out there till he passed out on his feet.

On the third day Jo woke with Dean still in bed with her, staring up at the ceiling. "Let's go somewhere." He said once he knew she was awake.

"Like a vacation?" Jo asked stretching her arms above her head.

"No. Let's go be normal together." Dean rolled over on his side to look at her. "Let's get a house, get regular jobs."

"Live an apple pie life?" Jo she finished for him, rolling over so that she was facing him.

Dean rolled back to face the ceiling. "Yeah, something like that."

* * *

The day they left for Brandon, Bobby and Dean hadn't said a word to each other. He had helped them load up the Impala and one of the trucks in complete silence. Before Dean got into the car to leave, he gave Bobby one last hug. Jo knew then that this would be the last Bobby and Dean would see of each other for a very long time.

For the record, a week later, Bobby was hunting a Rugaru in Dayton. But not Dean.

Dean didn't want Castiel to save him. Jo could put that much together. Every part of him, every fiber he had screamed out to die or find a way to bring Sam back. But Jo knew that he wasn't going to do either of those.

Because he made a promise.

They pulled up to the old house in Brandon and sat in their cars staring at it. Jo turned to watch Dean in the Impala, his face was cold and hard. She knew he probably didn't think this, hell, she _knew_ he didn't, but she thought that this was all a test and they had passed.

Sam and Dean did all that the other hunter's only play at. Up against good and evil, angels, demons, destiny, and even God himself. They made their own choice. They chose family and isn't that kind of the whole point. Jo rested her hands on the wheel of the car, watching as Dean made the first move, getting out of his car and walking up toward their house.

* * *

**Thank you all so much for reading! The sequel is close to being ready, haven't settled on a name yet, so look out! And again, please, please, please review. Let me know what you think! Reviews are what I live on! **


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